A  HISTORY 
OF  BASE  HOSPITAL  3  2 


J. 


K.  LILLY 

Founder 


A  History  of 

BASE  HOSPITAL  32 

[including  unit  r} 


EDITED   AND   COMPILED   BY 


BENJAMIN    D.  HITZ 


WITH 

photographic  illustrations  by 
Charles  S.  Stough 

AND  others 


INDIANAPOLIS 
1922 


Copyright  1922 

Edward  Kahle  Post  No.  42 

American  Legion 

Indianapolis 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGES 

I.  Under  the  Red  Cross 1-9 

The  origin  of  Base  Hospital  Z2.  Mr.  Lilly  offers  to  equip  a  Base 
Hospital.  Early  organization.  Equipment  plans.  Changes  in 
personnel.  Dr.  Clark's  staff.  Selection  of  nursing  and  enlisted 
personnel.  Organization  supervised  by  the  Red  Cross.  The  In- 
dianapolis Red  Cross  Shop  furnishes  the  linen  and  surgical  dress- 
ings.   Assignment  of  regular  army  officers.     Orders  to  mobilize. 

II.  Fort  Harrison 10-24 

Mobilization.  Military  training.  Appointment  of  non-commis- 
sioned officers.  Transfers  and  withdrawals.  List  of  personnel. 
Rumors  of  sailing  orders.  Departure  for  port  of  embarkation. 
Nurses  in  training.  List  of  nursing  personnel.  Three  weeks  at 
Hoboken.  Transfer  to  Ellis  Island.  Civilian  employes  join  the 
nurses.    Final  preparations  for  overseas  service.    Sailing  orders. 

III.  The  Voyage 25-43 

The  George  Washington.  The  first  day  on  board.  Precautions 
against  submarines.  A  touch  of  rough  weather.  Sunday  at  sea. 
A  convoy  of  destroyers  arrives.  The  storm  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay. 
The  submarine  scare.  The  harbor  of  Brest.  The  unit  debarks. 
Seeing  the  town.  Across  France  in  a  snowstorm.  Christmas 
day  on  the  train.    Arrival  at  Contrexeville. 

IV.  Contrexeville 44-57 

Celebrated  watering  place.  Hotels,  buildings  and  parks.  Ad- 
vantages as  a  hospital  site.  Assignment  of  hospital  buildings. 
General  organization  plans  developed.  Surgical  and  medical  sec- 
tion buildings  assigned.  Arrival  and  unloading  of  equipment. 
Fitting  the  buildings  for  hospitals.  Changes  in  personnel.  Ten- 
tative staff.  The  country  about  Contrexeville.  Major  Beery's 
illness.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  the  Red  Cross.  Base  Hospital  32 
ready  for  service. 

V.  Hospital  Unit  R 58-69 

Arrival  at  Contrexeville.  Origin  and  early  organization  of  Unit 
R.  Assistance  of  neighboring  Red  Cross  chapters.  Equipment. 
Mobilization  at  Fort  McPherson.  Military  training.  Changes  in 
personnel.  Camp  Merrit.  Embarkation.  The  convoy  assembles 
at  Halifax.  The  voyage  on  the  Carmania.  Liverpool  and  South- 
ampton. The  rest  camp.  Crossing  the  channel.  The  train  from 
LeHavre.    The  air  raid.    List  of  Unit  R  personnel. 

VI.  Spring,  19 18  ... 70-84 

Major  Van  Kirk  assumes  command.  Changes  in  staff.  Promo- 
tions and  appointments  in  enlisted  personnel.  The  first  hospital 
train  arrives.  The  laboratory.  The  Quartermaster  commissary. 
Changes  in  personnel.  The  bathhouse  opens.  How  convoys  were 
handled.  The  Casino  Theater.  The  base  Hospital  32  baseball 
team.    The  first  influenza  epidemic.     Memorial  Day  ceremonies. 


IV1116194 


vi  Contents 


VII.  Summer,  1918 85-93 

Several  convoys  arrive.  An  air  raid  that  never  materialized. 
The  minstrel  show.  Fourth  of  July  celebration.  Changes  in  per- 
sonnel. Formation  of  the  Vittel-Contrexeville  Hospital  Center. 
Busy  days.  Leaves  of  absence.  Athletic  activities.  Promotions 
in  the  enlisted  personnel. 

VIII.  Fall,  1918 94-102 

Anniversary  celebration  at  the  Providence.  A  review  of  the  first 
year's  work.  Expansion  of  bed  capacity.  Additional  personnel. 
Admissions  during  September  and  October.  Losses  and  trans- 
fers. Death  of  Edward  C.  Kahle.  Promotions.  The  Nurses' 
Club.  The  Red  Cross  Hut.  Another  musical  entertainment. 
Decoration  of  Lexie  Downham.  Colonel  Rukkc's  order  of  com- 
mendation. 

IX.  The  Surgical  and  Medical  Sections   .   103-130 

Surgical:  The  staff.  Mortality  rate  of  patients.  Statistics  of 
rank  and  nationality.  Ages  of  patients.  Classification  of  cases. 
Medical:  Importance  of  medical  work.  The  staff.  Patients 
statistics  :  nationalities  ;  classification  of  cases  ;  mortalities  ;  rank  ; 
ages.    How  contagious  cases  were  handled. 

X.  Departments 131-143 

Nose,  Throat  and  Ear:  Personnel.  Early  work.  First  convoy 
of  gas  cases.  Major  Page  develops  a  new  method  of  treatment. 
X-Ray:  Equipment  and  personnel.  Installation.  An  outline  of 
the  work.  Anesthesia :  Directed  by  Captain  Guedel.  Induction 
method.     Asculatory  vapor  aspiration  method. 

XL   Departments  (Continued) 144-158 

Laboratories:  Organization  of  Central  Laboratory.  Staff  and 
personnel.  Serology  work.  Autopsies.  Bacteriology.  Clinical 
pathology.  Orthopedic  Service :  Organization  of  department  by 
Captain  Mumford.  Personnel.  Volume  of  work.  Neuro-Psy- 
chiatry:  Psycho-neuroses.  Brain  and  spinal  cord  injuries.  Per- 
ipheral nerve  lesions  and  psychoses. 

XII.  TheA.R.C 159-176 

Mr.  Thompson  succeeds  Mr.  Hitchcock.  Personnel.  General 
nature  of  work.  Bathhouse.  Sorting  and  Receiving  Station.  Red 
Cross  Hut.  Convalescents'  farm.  Tlieater.  Barber  shop.  Nurses' 
Garden.  Officers'  Club.  Searching  and  home  communication 
service.  Christmas  packages.  Tobacco  and  cigarettes.  News- 
papers and  magazines.  Writing  paper.  Cliristmas  celebration. 
Office  work.    Miscellaneous.    Emergency  service. 

XIII.  Packing  Up 177-186 

The  armistice  celebration.  Automobile  trips  to  the  front.  Thanks- 
giving and  Christmas  days.  Dismantling  the  hospital  buildings. 
Basketball  team.  Transfer  to  the  United  States.  The  iiospital 
is  officially  closed.  Complete  statistics  of  patients  during  the  hos- 
pitals service  in  France. 


Contents  vii 


XIV.  Homeward  Bound 187-205 

The  unit  entrains  for  Nantes.  The  trip  to  the  embarkation  area. 
Saint  Sebastian.  The  nurses  sail  for  home.  Preparations  for  m- 
spections.  Officers  receive  embarkation  orders.  Unit  departs  for 
St.  Nazaire.  Final  inspections.  The  U.  S.  S.  Freedom.  A  slow 
voyage.  Arrival  at  New  York.  Camp  Mills  and  Camp  Merntt. 
The  Indianapolis  home-coming  celebration.  Discharge  at  Camp 
Taylor. 

XV.  The  Auxiliary  Association  .     .     .     .  206-210 

Origin  of  the  Association.  The  organization  committee.  Officers 
elected  and  committees  appointed.  The  Association's  work.  List 
of  members. 

Appendix 211-229 

Index 231-237 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACING 
PAGE 

J.  K.  Lilly,  Founder  (Frontispiece) Title 

Lieutenant  Colonel  Edmund  D.  Clark 4 

Training  at  Fort  Harrison 7 

"32's"  Camp  at  Fort  Harrison 7 

Nurses  of  Base  Hospital  32 10 

Base  Hospital  32  Officers  at  Fort  Harrison 10 

An  Early  Morning  Wash,  Fort  Harrison 13 

Rabbit  Chase,  Fort  Harrison 13 

Care  De  L'Est,  Contrexeville 16 

Rue  Du  Pont  Rouge 16 

Contrexeville,  Looking  Toward  Vittel 21 

The  Mill 21 

The  Colonnade 28 

Church  Used  by  Base  Hospital  32 33 

Facade,  Hospital  A 33 

The  Road  to  Suriauville 36 

The  Church         36 

Establissement  Hydoromineral 45 

Map  of  Contrexeville 48 

Entrance  to  the  Glass  House 52 

Interior,  the  Glass  House 52 

Officers'  Quarters,  Rue  Salabery         55 

The  Park  from  the  North  Entrance 55 

The  Villa  St.  George 58 

Waiting  for  the  Vittel  Bus 58 

The  Garage  Gang  and  Their  Menagerie 61 

The  Old  Theatre 61 

Rue  Salabery,  Looking  North 64 

Waiting  for  the  Mess  Call 64 

Group  at  the  Glass  House        69 

OfT  Detail 69 

French  Hospital  Train 76 

Unloading  Patients  at  the  Bath  House 76 

Large  Surgical  Ward,  Hospital  A 81 

Bastille  Day  Ceremonies 84 

Memorial  Day  Ceremonies 84 

ix 


X  List  of  Illustrations 

FACING 
PAGE 

Ball  Game,  July  4,  1918 93 

The  Mill        93 

Hospital  A,  Cosmopolitain  Palace  Hotel 100 

Personnel,  Hospital  A         100 

Main  Surgery,  Hospital  A 103 

Dressing  Room,  Hospital  A 103 

Pharmacy,  Hospital  A         106 

Medical  Supply  Room,  Hospital  A 106 

Orthopedic  Cases,  Hospital  A 109 

A  French  General  on  an  Inspection  Tour 109 

Personnel,  Hospital  E         112 

Hospital  E,  Hotel  De  La  Providence 112 

Personnel,  Hospital  B 117 

Hospital  B,  Hotel  De  Paris 117 

Personnel,  Hospital  D         124 

Hospital  D,  Royal  Hotel 124 

Personnel,  Hospital  C 129 

Hospital  C,  Hotel  De  La  Providence  Annex 129 

Eye  Department,  Hospital  A 132 

Nose,  Throat  and  Ear  Department 132 

Lieutenant  Beeler  with  a  Delegation  of  French  Officers     .      .  141 

X-Ray  Department,  Hospital  A 141 

View  from  the  Cosmopolitain 148 

Presentation  of  D.  S.  C 151 

Parade,  July  4,  1918 151 

The  Bishop's  Farm 154 

Railroad  Bridge,  River  Vair 154 

Rue  De  L'Aisle,  Looking  East 157 

The  Town  Crier 157 

A  Veteran  of  the  Franco-Prussian  War 160 

The  Barber  Shop 160 

The  Red  Cross  Hut 165 

The  Nurses'  Garden 165 

The  Casino  Theatre 172 

Minstrel  Show,  Base  Hospitals  31  and  32 172 

Detachment  Inspection 177 

Part  of  the  Enlisted  Personnel      ..." 177 

The  Quartermaster  Commissary 180 


List  of  Illustrations  xi 

FACING 
PAGE 

The  Carpenter  Shop 180 

Lallemont's 189 

Cafe  De  La  Gare 189 

Detail  Installing  Tank  at  Garage         196 

"Baking"  in  the  Glass  House 196 

First  Etage,  Hospital  A 199 

Kitchen,  Hospital  A 199 

Officers  of  Base  Hospital  32 202 

Winter  Scene,  Contrexeville 205 

Bundling  Fagots 205 

French  Soldiers  Preparing  Mess         214 

Part  of  a  French  Division 214 

On  Board  The  Freedom 219 

Loafing  Between  Inspections 219 


PREFACE 

This  volume  is  published  for  the  members  of  Base 
Hospital  32  and  for  their  relatives  and  friends. 

While  the  committee  charged  with  its  preparation  has 
made  every  effort  to  produce  a  complete  and  accurate  his- 
tory of  the  hospital  and  its  work,  the  chief  aim  has  been  to 
publish  a  book  that  would  preserve  for  future  recollection 
some  of  the  details  of  the  life  and  environment  of  the 
members  of  the  unit  during  the  war. 

The  task  has  not  been  without  its  difficulties.  Authori- 
tative sources  of  information,  particularly  as  regards  the 
early  history  of  the  hospital,  have  been  limited.  It  is  be- 
lieved, however,  that  the  material  selected  for  publication 
embraces  all  of  the  more  important  phases  of  the  hos- 
pital's work  and  of  the  activities  of  its  personnel. 

Most  of  the  illustrations  in  the  book  have  been  selected 
from  photographs  taken  in  and  about  Contrexeville  by 
Mr.  Charles  S.  Stough,  and  are  reproduced  with  his  per- 
mission. Others  were  contributed  by  Mr.  Edward  Kurr, 
Mr.  Martin  L.  Sutton  and  Mr.  Vernon  Sheller. 

The  committee  desires  to  express  its  gratitude  to  Mr. 
William  H.  Thompson,  whose  efforts  in  securing  copies 
of  the  hospital's  official  records  from  the  Surgeon- 
General's  office  have  contributed  largely  to  the  historical 
accuracy  of  the  book. 

Acknowledgment  is  also  due  Mr.  Clarence  R.Johnston, 
who  furnished  the  history  of  Unit  R;  Miss  Gertrude  Stef- 
fen  and  Dr.  A.  B.  Graham,  for  the  medical  and  surgical 
section  statistics;  Mr.  George  Fishback  for  much  of  the 
history  of  the  unit  after  the  armistice,  and  to  Drs.  R.  C. 
Beeler,  Elmer  Funkhouser,  Chas.  D.  Humes,  Lafayette 
Page,  E.  B.  Mumford  and  Arthur  E.  Guedel  for  their 

xiii 


xiv  Preface 

generous  assistance  with  the  histories  of  their  respective 
departments. 

The  committee  is  indebted  to  Miss  Agnes  Cruse,  secre- 
tary of  the  Indianapolis  Chapter  of  the  Red  Cross;  Miss 
Florence  Martin,  Mrs.  Benjamin  D.  Hitz,  Mr.  Otto 
Asperger,  Dr.  Robert  M.  Moore  and  many  others  who 
contributed  important  historical  and  statistical  informa- 
tion. 

Edmund  D.  Clark, 
Charlotte  Cathcart, 
Mary  E.  Bostwick, 
C.  Curtis  Duck, 
Benjamin  D.  Hitz, 

Committee. 


Under  the  Red  Cross 

THE  story  of  Base  Hospital  32  begins  early  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1917.  At  this  time,  with  relations  between 
the  United  States  and  Germany  becoming  daily  more 
strained,  a  certain  group  of  Indianapolis  physicians  was 
already  resolving  to  volunteer  its  services  in  event  of  war. 
The  idea  of  organizing  a  hospital  from  Indianapolis 
began  to  take  definite  form  on  February  19,  1917,  when 
the  following  letter  from  Mr.  J.  K.  Lilly  was  received  by 
the  president  of  the  Indianapolis  Chapter  of  the  Amer- 
ican Red  Cross : 

February  19,  19 17. 

Mr.  William  Fortune,  President,  the  Indianapolis  Chap- 
ter, American  Red  Cross,  City: 

Dear  Sir — We  are  informed  that  a  committee  of  physi- 
cians of  this  city  and  state  are  now  perfecting  the  organi- 
zation of  a  volunteer  staff  of  physicians,  surgeons  and 
nurses  to  serve  under  the  Red  Cross  in  event  our  country 
becomes  involved  in  the  European  war. 

Having  an  earnest  desire  to  co-operate  to  the  fullest 
extent  in  the  work  of  caring  for  our  sick  and  wounded 
soldiers  and  sailors  in  the  event  of  war,  we  offer  the  sum 
of  $25,000  to  the  Indianapolis  Chapter  of  the  American 
Red  Cross  for  the  purpose  of  equipping  a  base  hospital 
in  accordance  with  the  specifications  of  the  American 
Red  Cross. 

This  gift  is  to  be  contingent  only  upon  the  actual  decla- 
ration of  war,  and  is  made  as  a  memorial  to  Colonel  Eli 
Lilly,  who,  as  an  officer,  faithfully  served  his  country  on 
the  field  of  battle. 

If  consistent  with  the  rules  of  the  American  Red  Cross, 
it  is  requested  that  this  base  hospital  shall  be  known  as  the 
Colonel  Eli  Lilly  Memorial  Red  Cross  Hospital  wher- 
ever it  shall  be  located;  and  in  making  our  offer  it  is  with 

I 


2  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

the  hope  that  it  will  provide  the  staff  of  physicians,  sur- 
geons and  nurses  now  being  organized  in  this  city  and 
state  with  an  equipment  for  rendering  that  service  for 
which  they  volunteer. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Eli  Lilly  &  Company, 

J.  K.  Lilly,  President. 

Mr.  Lilly's  generous  offer  was  promptly  accepted,  and 
the  Indianapolis  Red  Cross  Chapter  adopted  the  follow- 
ing resolution  of  appreciation: 

Whereas,  the  Eli  Lilly  &  Company,  of  Indianapolis, 
having  offered  this  chapter,  through  its  president,  the 
equipment  for  a  Red  Cross  Base  Hospital,  at  a  cost  of 
$25,000  in  the  event  that  the  United  States  be  drawn  into 
the  present  European  war,  and  on  the  condition  that  the 
required  personal  service  for  such  hospital  be  given  by 
physicians,  surgeons  and  nurses  of  Indiana;  therefore, 
be  it 

Resolved,  That  this  generous  and  patriotic  offer  from 
the  Eli  Lilly  &  Company  is  hereby  accepted;  and,  be  it 
further 

Resolved,  That  as  an  evidence  of  our  appreciation  for 
the  high  spirit  which  has  prompted  this  gift,  this  hospital 
shall  bear  the  name  of  Colonel  Eli  Lilly,  whose  splendid 
service  as  a  soldier  and  citizen  is  worthy  of  the  highest 
honor  that  can  be  accorded  him  in  the  annals  of  American 
patriotism;  and,  be  it  further 

Resolved,  That  the  full  text  of  this  resolution  be  en- 
grossed and  presented  to  the  Eli  Lilly  &  Cornpany  as  a 
further  recognition  of  their  loyal  and  unselfish  devotion 
to  the  cause  of  the  United  States  and  of  humanity. 

Indianapolis  Chapter  of  American  Red  Cross, 
By  William  Fortune,  President; 
Guernsey  Van  Riper,  Secretary. 

Indianapolis,  February  19,  1917. 

On  April  7,  1917,  a  state  of  war  having  been  declared 
between   the  United   States  and  Germany,   the  donation 


Under  the  Red  Cross  3 

became  available,  and  plans  for  organizing  the  hospital 
followed;  Dr.  John  H.  Oliver  was  appointed  director, 
and  the  Indianapolis  City  Hospital  was  designated  as  the 
parent  hospital.  Associated  with  Dr.  Oliver  in  this  early 
work  were  Dr.  O.  G.  Pfafif,  Dr.  David  Ross,  Dr.  Frank 
Morrison  and  Dr.  Charles  F.  Neu.  Dr.  Norman  E.  Jobes 
was  appointed  purchasing  agent,  and  Mr.  Louis  Lathrop, 
disbursing  officer. 

The  work  of  organization  was  well  under  way,  and 
many  of  the  most  important  purchases  of  equipment  had 
been  arranged  when  it  became  necessary  to  make  a  num- 
ber of  changes  in  the  staf]f.  Dr.  Oliver,  Dr.  Ross  and  Dr. 
Morrison  were  disqualified  because  of  physical  disability, 
and  Dr.  Neu,  who  was  born  in  Canada  and  had  never 
taken  out  naturalization  papers,  was  obliged  to  withdraw 
as  he  was  not  a  citizen  of  the  United  States.  Succeeding 
Dr.  Oliver,  Dr.  Edmund  D.  Clark  was  appointed  director 
with  the  rank  of  major  on  June  14th,  and  it  was  under  his 
supervision  that  the  work  of  organization  was  completed 
and  the  hospital  prepared  for  overseas  duty.  Following 
the  withdrawal  of  Dr.  Jobes,  Benjamin  D.  Hitz  was  ap- 
pointed purchasing  agent,  and  Mr.  Lathrop  was  suc- 
ceeded by  C.  Curtis  Duck  as  disbursing  officer. 

The  original  plan  of  the  Lilly  Base  Hospital  called  for 
a  hospital  of  500  beds,  and  the  organization  of  the  per- 
sonnel and  the  purchase  of  equipment  followed  certain 
definite  lines  prescribed  by  the  surgeon  general's  office. 
The  personnel  was  to  include  twenty-two  physicians  and 
surgeons,  two  dentists,  sixty-five  graduate  nurses,  from 
six  to  ten  civilian  employes,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
three  enlisted  men.  Certain  alterations  of  this  personnel 
were  subsequently  necessary  and  were  authorized,  but  the 
general  plan  was  adhered  to,  and  it  was  with  approxi- 
mately this  personnel  that  the  unit  sailed  for  France.  The 
list  of  equipment  for  a  base  hospital  of  500  beds  published 


4  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

in  the  United  States  Army  Medical  Manual  furnished  a 
guide  for  purchasing.  Among  the  items  of  equipment 
were:  500  white  enamel  beds  with  full  complement  of 
mattresses,  pillows  and  linen,  1,500  blankets,  250  bedside 
tables,  five  operating  tables,  a  complete  equipment  of  sur- 
gical instruments,  X-ray  and  laboratory  supplies,  steriliz- 
ing apparatus,  dental  furniture  and  equipment,  three 
regulation  army  ambulances,  a  two-ton  truck,  and  a  large 
assortment  of  drugs,  dressings  and  minor  hospital  supplies. 

As  soon  as  the  purchase  of  this  equipment  was  well 
under  way  it  became  evident  that  the  cost  would  greatly 
exceed  $25,000.  The  manner  in  which  this  problem  was 
met  is  described  in  the  official  history  of  the  Indianapolis 
Chapter  of  the  Red  Cross.* 

It  was  soon  apparent  that  the  cost  of  equipping  the  base 
hospital  would  be  nearer  $50,000  than  $25,000.  In  fact, 
even  this  revised  estimate  proved  too  low.  In  order  to 
provide  for  adequate  equipment,  it  was  agreed,  as  the  re- 
sult of  negotiations  carried  on  by  Alfred  F.  Potts  in  July 
with  the  officials  of  the  American  Red  Cross  in  Wash- 
ington, that  citizens  of  Indianapolis  should  contribute 
$25,000  to  the  hospital  instead  of  paying  it  into  the  na- 
tional war  fund.  The  national  war  fund,  it  will  be  re- 
membered, was  divided  between  national  headquarters 
and  the  local  chapter,  the  latter  retaining  only  twenty- 
five  per  cent.  The  arrangement  effected  by  Mr.  Potts 
was  a  particularly  happy  solution,  especially  in  view  of 
the  fact  that  two  subscriptions  amounting  to  $27,500  had 
been  made  at  the  Indianapolis  Club  dinner  with  the  un- 
derstanding that  they  should  be  applied  to  the  hospital. 
One  of  these  two  donations  amounting  to  $15,000,  came 
from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Josiah  K.  Lilly,  further  testifying  to 
the  interest  of  the  founder  of  the  hospital  in  the  work 
which  it  was  designed  to  do. 

Early  in  the  summer  Dr.  Clark,  accompanied  by  Drs. 

*"A  Red  Cross  Chapter  at  Work,"  by  Marie  Cecile  and  Anslem  Chomel. 


KL   EDMUND   D.   CLARK 


Under  the  Red  Cross  5 

O.  G.  Pfaff,  Carleton  B.  McCuUoch  and  Bernays  Ken- 
nedy, all  of  whom  were  active  in  organizing  the  hospital, 
made  a  trip  to  Washington,  Baltimore  and  New  York  for 
the  purpose  of  conferring  with  Surgeon  General  Gorgas 
and  with  Colonel  Jefferson  R.  Kean,  of  the  Red  Cross, 
concerning  certain  details  of  the  personnel  and  equip- 
ment. At  Baltimore  Dr.  Clark  was  in  conference  with 
Dr.  J.  C.  Bloodgood,  of  the  Johns  Hopkins  University, 
and  acquired  valuable  data  concerning  the  Johns  Hop- 
kins Unit,  which  had  already  sailed  for  service  overseas.* 
Several  base  hospitals  organizing  in  New  York  furnished 
additional  information.  It  was  on  this  trip,  too,  that  the 
Lilly  Base  Hospital  was  officially  recognized  and  desig- 
nated as  United  States  Army  Base  Hospital  No.  32. 

The  selection  of  Dr.  Clark's  staff  proceeded  rapidly 
and  was  practically  completed  by  July  i,  although  many 
of  the  commissions  were  not  received  until  much  later. 
The  original  staff  included  Dr.  Orange  G.  Pfaff,  chief  of 
surgical  staff;  Dr.  Carleton  B.  McCulloch,  Dr.  Alois  B. 
Graham,  Dr.  Charles  D.  Humes  and  Dr.  Eugene  B. 
Mumford;  Dr.  Bernays  Kennedy,  chief  of  medical  staff; 
Dr.  Lafayette  Page,  Dr.  Ray  Newcomb  and  Dr.  Joseph 
Kent  Worthington.  Other  members  were  Drs.  Leslie  H. 
Maxv/ell,  Paul  Thomas  Hurt,  Smith  Quimby,  Ralph  L. 
Sweet,  Frank  C.  Walker,  Scott  R.  Edwards,  Ralph  L. 
Lochry,  Raymond  C.  Beeler,  Robert  M.  Moore,  Elmer 
Funkhouser,  John  T.  Day  and  Joseph  W.  Ricketts.  The 
dental  staff  was  composed  of  Drs.  J.  W.  Scherer  and 
James  V.  Sparks. 

Miss  Florence  J.  Martin  was  appointed  chief  nurse  and 
assisted  largely  in  the  selection  and  organization  of  the 
nursing  personnel. 

*The  Johns  Hopkins  Unit,  Base  Hospital  18,  sailed  for  France  June  9, 
1917.  They  were  stationed  at  Bazoilles-sur-Meuse,  about  twenty  miles  from 
Contrexeville. 


6  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

The  first  enlisted  men  reported  for  examination  May 
31,  1917.  The  number  of  applicants  greatly  exceeded  the 
enlisted  personnel  limit,  and  the  selections  were,  in  the 
majority  of  cases,  based  upon  special  qualifications.  Dr. 
Carleton  B.  McCulloch  was  active  in  the  recruiting  and 
selection  of  the  men,  and  directed  the  physical  examina- 
tions. Enlistment  papers  were  signed  on  June  15th  and 
26th,  and  the  men  were  ordered  to  be  ready  for  an  active 
service  call  at  any  date. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  organization  and  equip- 
ment of  volunteer  base  hospitals  had  been  delegated  to  the 
American  Red  Cross,  and  it  was  under  their  jurisdiction 
that  the  work  of  organizing  and  equipping  Base  Hospital 
32  proceeded.  Indeed  it  was  not  until  September  i,  1917, 
when  the  unit  was  finally  mustered  into  service,  that  the 
reins  of  control  passed  officially  from  the  Red  Cross  to 
the  War  Department.  Until  that  time  practically  all  in- 
structions relating  to  equipment  and  personnel  came 
through  Red  Cross  channels.  The  director,  purchasing 
agent  and  disbursing  officer  were  appointed  by  the  Amer- 
ican Red  Cross,  and  were  responsible  to  that  organiza- 
tion. Monthly  reports  of  disbursements  were  rendered  to 
the  national  treasurer,  and  the  purchase  of  equipment  and 
the  organization  of  the  personnel  were  conducted  under 
Red  Cross  supervision.  The  Indianapolis  Chapter  of  the 
American  Red  Cross  was  closely  associated  with  this  early 
work,  and  the  active  interest  and  efforts  of  its  president, 
Mr.  William  Fortune,  contributed  largely  to  expediting 
the  organization  and  equipment  of  the  hospital. 

Mention  should  be  made  here  of  the  splendid  co-opera- 
tion of  the  Indianapolis  Red  Cross  Shop,  which  furnished 
the  hospital  with  a  complete  supply  of  linen,  bandages 
and  surgical  dressings.  The  Indianapolis  Red  Cross  Shop 
began  its  operations  early  in  the  spring  of  1917  with  a 


rft,-»-  >««•  L*> 


TRAINING  AT  FORT  HARRISON 


•3_'S"  CAMl'  AT   FORT  HARRISON 


Under  the  Red  Cross  7 

small  group  of  women  under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  Phile- 
mon M.  Watson.  Mrs.  Watson  was  succeeded  as  chair- 
man, July  I,  1917,  by  Miss  Jessie  M.  Goodwin.  The  his- 
tory of  this  organization,  its  growth,  and  the  extent  of  its 
work,  is  a  story  in  itself,  of  which  the  equipping  of  Base 
Hospital  32  is  but  a  part.  The  total  number  of  articles 
furnished  the  hospital  reached  46,371,  and  included, 
sheets,  pillow  cases,  pajamas,  operating  gowns,  surgical 
linen,  table  linen,  and  an  immense  number  and  variety  of 
surgical  dressings  and  bandages.  In  addition  to  Mrs. 
Watson  and  Miss  Goodwin,  other  ladies  who  were  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  hospital  equipment  work  were: 
Mrs.  Robert  S.  Foster,  Mrs.  Wm.  Pirtle  Herod,  Mrs. 
Hugh  McGibney,  Mrs.  Meredith  Nicholson,  Mrs. 
Douglas  Jillson,  Mrs.  William  L.  Elder  and  Mrs. 
Thomas  Eastman.  The  vast  amount  of  labor  required  to 
produce  all  this  equipment  was  the  result  of  the  combined 
effort  and  painstaking  work  of  hundreds  of  loyal  Indiana 
women.  Long  before  the  unit  was  mobilized  every  item 
had  been  completed,  packed  in  cases  for  overseas  trans- 
portation, and  stored  in  a  local  warehouse  ready  for  ship- 
ment. 

Mid-August  found  the  unit  complete  in  every  detail 
and  eager  for  service.  Officers'  commissions  that  had  been 
sidetracked  in  their  devious  journeys  through  the  War 
Department  were  finally  received.  The  enlisted  personnel 
had  been  increased  to  180.  The  work  of  packing  and  sten- 
cilling the  equipment  for  overseas  shipment  was  being 
rushed  to  completion.  A  few  of  the  officers  had  already 
been  called  out  and  assigned  to  different  stations  for  spe- 
cial training;  Lieutenant  Beeler  to  New  York  City  for 
special  X-ray  work;  Lieutenant  Edwards  to  the  Rocke- 
feller Institute  for  instructions  in  Carrel-Dakin  treat- 
ment.  Lieutenant  Quimby  to  Fort  Riley,  Kan.,  and  Cap- 


8  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

tain  Worthington  to  Fort  Worth,  Texas.  The  vacancy 
left  by  the  withdrawal  of  Dr.  Ray  Newcomb  was  filled  by 
Dr.  Harry  F.  Byrnes,  an  eye  specialist  of  Springfield, 
Mass.,  who  was  already  on  duty  at  Fort  Harrison  with 
the  rank  of  captain. 

Rumors  were  rife  that  mobilization  orders  were  immi- 
nent. Information  came  that  two  regular  army  officers 
would  soon  join  the  unit — one  as  commanding  officer  and 
the  other  as  quartermaster,  and  that  a  non-commissioned 
officer  w^ould  be  assigned  for  the  purpose  of  drilling  the 
enlisted  personnel.  On  August  15th  Captain  R.  O.  WoU- 
muth,  Q.  M.  C,  arrived  in  Indianapolis  and  reported  to 
Dr.  Clark  for  duty  as  quartermaster.  Two  days  later  the 
long-expected  and  eagerly  awaited  mobilization  orders 
were  received.  In  compliance  with  these  orders  the  of- 
ficers and  enlisted  men  of  Base  Hospital  32  were  to  report 
at  Fort  Benjamin  Harrison,  September  ist,  for  a  period 
of  training  and  instruction.  It  was  announced  also  that 
the  nursing  personnel  would  probably  be  mobilized  at  an 
early  date,  and  trained  at  Ellis  Island,  joining  the  rest  of 
the  unit  at  the  port  of  embarkation. 

The  last  days  of  August  were  marked  by  great  activity. 
Under  the  direction  of  Captain  Wollmuth  the  enlisted 
men  were  measured  for  uniforms.  Anti-typhoid  and 
smallpox  vaccinations  occupied  several  days.  Arrange- 
ments for  quarters  at  Fort  Harrison,  and  for  the  officers' 
and  enlisted  men's  mess  were  completed.  The  army  or- 
ders of  August  24th  directed  that  Captain  H.  R.  Beery, 
Medical  Corps,  proceed  to  Indianapolis  to  assume  com- 
mand of  Base  Hospital  32.  Captain  Beery  arrived  in 
Indianapolis  on  August  27th  and  Sergeant  Peter  Pfrank- 
lin  on  August  30th. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  additional  excitement  w^as 
injected  into  the  situation  when  orders  were  received  to 


Under  the  Red  Cross  9 

ship  all  equipment  to  the  "Officer  in  Charge,  Port  of  Em- 
barkation, Pier  41,  New  York  City."  Rumors  ran  riot.  It 
seemed  certain  that  Base  Hospital  32  would  soon  sail. 

On  September  i,  1917,  the  unit  entrained  for  Fort  Ben- 
jamin Harrison.  The  control  of  Base  Hospital  32  passed 
from  the  Red  Cross  to  the  War  Department,  and  the  his- 
tory of  the  hospital  as  a  military  organization  had  begun. 


T 


II 

Fort  Harrison 

HE  mobilization  of  Base  Hospital  32  is  described 
in  the  Indianapolis  Star  of  September  2nd: 

Officers  and  enlisted  men  of  Indianapolis  Base  Hos- 
pital No.  32  spent  their  first  night  in  camp  at  Fort  Benja- 
min Harrison  last  night  and  during  their  stay  there  will 
live  according  to  the  regulation  military  routine,  with 
special  instruction  in  hospital  work  in  addition. 

Commanded  by  Major  Edmund  D.  Clark,  director  of 
the  hospital,  the  men  left  the  Union  Station  at  10  o'clock 
yesterday  morning  on  a  special  train  and  were  accorded 
as  enthusiastic  a  "send-ofif"  by  the  crowd  assembled  at  the 
gates  as  if  they  were  bound  for  France  itself  instead  of  for 
an  encampment  only  a  dozen  miles  away. 

Forming  ranks  in  the  train  sheds,  the  enlisted  men 
marched  in  single  file  to  the  train,  and  after  them  came 
Major  Clark,  Capt.  H.  R.  Beery,  military  commander; 
Capt.  R.  O.  Wollmuth,  quartermaster,  and  the  physicians 
and  dentists  holding  the  rank  of  captains  and  lieutenants. 
There  are  about  twenty-four  officers  and  150  enlisted  men 
now  in  camp.  Twenty-nine  young  men,  enlisted  with  the 
hospital  as  privates,  who  were  informed  a  day  or  so  ago 
that  they  could  not  go  into  active  training  now,  were 
among  the  crowd  that  witnessed  the  hospital  unit's  depar- 
ture. These  men  possibly  will  see  duty  with  the  unit,  how- 
ever, as  they  are  being  held  on  the  reserve  list.*  Sergt. 
Pfranklin,  of  the  regular  army,  has  been  appointed  drill 
master  for  the  hospital.  He  arrived  in  Indianapolis 
Thursday  night  and  the  mobilization  work  at  the  station 
was  under  his  direction. 

The  stafif  officers  were  immaculate  in  brand-new  uni- 


*The  mobilization  orders  limited  the  number  of  enlisted  men  to  153.  and  it 
was  at  first  thought  necessary  to  drop  the  surplus  men  from  the  roll.  Subse- 
quently, however,  it  was  decided  to  hold  them  in  reserve,  and  still  later,  owing 
to  numerous  transfers  and  withdrawals,  many  of  them  were  finally  attached 
to  the  unit. 

lO 


XURSES   OF   BASE  HOSPITAL  32   DRILLINli   AT  COLL'MBIA   WAR   HOSI'ITAL,   N.   Y. 


.\>K   ll()>l'irAL  3J   OFFKKRS  AT  FORT  HARRISOX 


Fort  Harrison  ii 

forms,  leather  puttees,  gold  and  black  hat  cords,  and  the 
"caduceus"  on  the  collars.  The  enlisted  men  had  been 
provided  with  rather  shabby  uniforms,  many  of  them 
second  hand,  but  new  ones  will  be  provided  immediately, 
as  well  as  new  shoes. 

The  tents  which  Base  Hospital  32  occupied  at  the  fort 
were  located  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  reservation. 
Six  large  tents,  each  accommodating  approximately  thirty 
army  cots,  served  as  quarters  for  the  enlisted  men. 
Smaller  tents  were  erected  for  the  officers,  and  three  other 
tents  were  used  for  office  headquarters,  quartermaster's 
supplies  and  the  officers'  mess.  A  long  line  of  tables  east 
of  the  men's  tents  were  provided  for  the  men's  mess. 
Water  was  piped  to  the  front  and  rear  of  the  company 
"street."  In  addition  to  their  uniforms  and  clothing,  each 
enlisted  man  received  a  mess  kit,  a  shelter-half,  three 
"O.  D."  blankets,  and  a  luxury  known  as  a  bed-sack, 
which  was  filled  with  straw  and  served  as  a  mattress. 

The  first  days  at  the  fort  were  given  over  to  turning  a 
bunch  of  raw  recruits  into  soldiers.  Both  officers  and  en- 
listed men  were  drilled  in  military  formations,  familiar- 
ized with  army  regulations,  and  studied  the  Articles  of 
War.  Lecture  on  physiology  and  practical  first-aid  work 
were  given  the  enlisted  men  by  the  junior  officers.  The 
calendar  of  the  day  included  roll  call,  "setting-up"  exer- 
cises, morning  and  afternoon  drill  periods,  and  lectures. 
In  addition,  the  enlisted  men,  from  time  to  time,  were  re- 
quired to  do  guard  duty,  serve  on  policing  details,  and 
assist  in  the  kitchen  work.  Non-commissioned  officers 
were  appointed,  and  under  the  direction  of  Sergeant 
Pf  ranklin,  assisted  largely  by  Sergeant  Sheller,  the  work 
of  drilling  the  men  progressed  rapidly.  In  a  few  weeks' 
time  Base  Hospital  32  acquired  a  proficiency  in  military 
formations  and  drill  that  was  unusual  in  medical  organi- 
zations. 


12  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

In  addition  to  Sergeant  Sheller  other  enlisted  men  were 
singled  out  for  special  duty  and  promoted  to  corporals  or 
sergeants.  Among  them  were  Callis,  in  charge  of  the 
mess,  Asperger,  Jennings  and  Duck  in  the  headquarters 
office,  Hitz  in  the  medical  supplies,  George  White  in  the 
quartermaster  supplies  and  Reel,  Rich,  Swaim,  Brewer, 
Pfaff,  McHugh  and  Piatt  Searle  assigned  to  the  detach- 
ment. Dudley  White  was  in  charge  of  the  kitchen,  as- 
sisted by  Loechle,  Hamilton,  Plough,  Hicks,  Satters, 
Wagner  and  Kirkpatrick. 

With  all  this  intensive  training  the  organization  en- 
joyed a  good  deal  of  leisure  at  Fort  Harrison.  Evening 
and  Sunday  passes  to  Indianapolis  were  issued  liberally. 
Long  hikes  and  occasional  rabbit  hunts  broke  the  monot- 
ony of  crisp  autumn  days.  Thirty-two's  camp  became  a 
popular  gathering  place  for  Indianapolis  visitors,  and 
long  lines  of  cars  were  often  parked  beyond  the  tents.  A 
piano  was  brought  in  from  somewhere,  and  camp  fire 
parties  filled  the  evenings  with  melody  and  song. 

After  a  month's  training  the  unit  was  as  fit,  physically, 
as  an  organization  could  be,  and  eager  for  service.  Dur- 
ing October,  by  arrangement  with  a  number  of  Indian- 
apolis hospitals,  several  detachments  of  men  in  charge  of 
a  non-commissioned  officer  were  sent  to  these  institutions 
for  special  instruction  in  hospital  work.  On  October  17th 
the  men  received  their  first  army  pay,  and  on  November 
ist  the  tents  were  abandoned  and  the  unit  moved  into 
wooden  cantonments  for  the  balance  of  their  stay  at  the 
fort. 

During  this  period  of  32's  history  there  were  a  number 
of  changes  in  the  personnel  owing  to  transfer  and  with- 
drawals. On  September  i6th  Major  Clark  and  Captain 
Humes  were  ordered  to  Philadelphia  for  temporary  duty 
with  Dr.  Frazier,  head  of  the  department  of  surgery  of 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania.    During  Major  Clark's 


A.\    tAKI.\     MokXlNi.    WASH,    lOKT    llARRlSoN 


>-  '.lL^^_M 


KAHlUr   t  11  ASK.    IDKT    IIAKKISON 


Fort  Harrison  rj 

absence  Major  Pfaff  acted  temporarily  as  director  of  the 
unit.  Subsequently  Major  Pfafif  was  obliged  to  withdraw 
from  the  organization  owing  to  an  unfortunate  accident 
which  rendered  him  physically  unfit  for  active  service. 
Captain  McCulloch  was  promoted  to  major  and  became 
chief  of  the  surgical  stafif.  Captain  Worthington  was 
transferred,  and  Captain  Paul  F.  Martin  was  added  to 
the  roster.  The  position  of  chaplain  was  tendered  to 
Bishop  Joseph  M.  Francis,  of  the  Episcopal  Diocese  of 
Indianapolis.  During  the  last  week  at  the  fort  Captain 
R.  O.  Wollmuth  was  relieved  as  quartermaster  and  was 
succeeded  by  Second  Lieutenant  Franklin  P.  Bushey. 

A  complete  list  of  the  officers  and  enlisted  personnel  of 
Base  Hospital  32  during  their  period  of  training  at  Fort 
Harrison  follows: 

Major  Harry  R.  Beery,  M.  C U.  S.  Army 

Major  Edmund  D.  Clark,  M.  R.  C Indianapolis 

Major  Bernays  Kennedy,  M.  R.  C Indianapolis 

*Major  Orange  G.  Pfafif,  M.  R.  C Indianapolis 

Major  Carleton  B.  McCulloch,  M.  R.  C Indianapolis 

Captain  Harry  F.  Byrnes,  M.  R.  C Springfield,  Mass. 

Captain  Alois  B.  Graham,  M.  R.  C Indianapolis 

Captain  Charles  D.  Humes,  M.  R.  C Indianapolis 

Captain  Paul  F.  Martin,  M.  R.  C Indianapolis 

Captain  Eugene  B.  Mumford,  M.  R.  C Indianapolis 

Captain  Lafayette  Page,  M.  R.  C Indianapolis 

*Captain  R.  O.  Wollmuth,  Q.  M.  C U.  S.  Army 

*Captain  Joseph  K.  Worthington,  M.  R.  C IndianapoHs 

Lieutenant  Raymond  C.  Beeler,  M.  R.  C IndianapoHs 

Lieutenant  Franklin  P.  Bushey,  Q.  M.  C U.  S.  Army 

Lieutenant  John  T.  Day,  M.  R.  C Indianapolis 

fLieutenant  Scott  R.  Edwards,  M.  R.  C IndianapoHs 

Lieutenant  Elmer  Funkhouser,  M.  R.  C Indianapolis 

Lieutenant  Paul  T.  Hurt,  M.  R.  C IndianapoHs 

Lieutenant  Ralph  L.  Lochry,  M.  R.  C IndianapoHs 

*Dropped  from  the  roll  of  Base  Hospital  32,  prior  to  sailing,  by  transfer 
or  otherwise. 

fSailed  later  as  a  casual,  joining  the  unit  at  Contrexeville. 


14  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Lieutenant  Leslie  H.  Maxwell Indianapolis 

Lieutenant  Robert  M.  Moore,  M.  R.  C Indianapolis 

Lieutenant  Smith  Quimby,  M.  R.  C Indianapolis 

Lieutenant  Joseph  W.  Ricketts,  M.  R.  C Indianapolis 

Lieutenant  Jack  \V.  Scherer,  D.  R.  C IndianapoHs 

Lieutenant  James  V.  Sparks,  D.  R.  C Indianapolis 

Lieutenant  Ralph  L.  Sweet,  M.  R.  C Indianapolis 

Lieutenant  Frank  C.  Walker,  M.  R.  C Indianapolis 

Chaplain  Joseph  M.  Francis,  A.  R.  C Indianapolis 

John   W.   Ashe Indianapolis 

Lewis  N.  Ashworth Connersville,  Ind. 

Otto  Asperger Indianapolis 

Earl  L.  Baker Bedford,  Ind. 

Wilbur  Baldwin New  Harmony,  Ind. 

*Almer  Barnes Southport,   Ind. 

Albert  J.  Bartle Shippersville,  Pa. 

Richard   Beck Delphi,   Ind. 

Charles   H.   Biltimier Indianapolis 

Morris  Blumenthal Indianapolis 

*Kenneth  Bonesteel Indianapolis 

jThomas  Bowman Evansville,  Ind. 

Harry  M.  Boyer Indianapolis 

Bernard  Bradley Elwood,  Ind. 

Ralph  J.  Brewer Indianapolis 

William  J.  Brosnan Indianapolis 

Harry  W.  Brown Monrovia,  Ind. 

John  Bubelis Lynn,   Ind. 

*Edmond  Butler Indianapolis 

Harold  B.  Callis Kokomo,  Ind. 

Clarence   L.   Campbell Indianapolis 

John  P.  Carroll Indianapolis 

Charles  Carter Indianapolis 

Colby  L.  Chapman Greensburg,  Ind. 

Jay  Connaway Indianapolis 

Raymond  A.  Cooke Goodland,  Ind. 

Vernon   R.    Corrigan Indianapolis 

Benjamin  A.  Cotharin Huntington,  Ind. 

♦Dropped  from  the  roll  of  Base  Hospital  32,  prior  to  sailing,  by  transfer 
or  otherwise. 

tSailed  later  as  a  casual,  joining  the  unit  at  Contrexeville. 


Fort  Harrison  15 

*John   Dages Muncie,    Ind. 

Albert  L.  Daugherty Indianapolis 

John   P.   Davey Indianapolis 

William  P.  Davis Indianapolis 

David   Dean Indianapolis 

Joseph  C.   Delaney Indianapolis 

Moris  W.  Drake Shelby ville,  Ind. 

Morris    Drosdovvitz Indianapolis 

C.  Curtis  Duck Indianapolis 

John  H.  Duncan Greenfield,  Ind. 

Herman    L.    Earnest Indianapolis 

Ernest  Erdmann Greensburg,  Ind. 

Rufus  A.  Eudaly Sheridan,  Ind. 

Winters   W.    Fehr Indianapolis 

Clem  R.  Feirrell Muncie,  Ind. 

George  Fishback Terre  Haute,  Ind. 

Harry  W.   Fisher Indianapolis 

Kenneth   Fisk Indianapolis 

Earl  H.  Fitchett Indianapolis 

Harry  H.  Fletcher Indianapolis 

Walter  A.  Foreman Windfall,  Ind. 

Malcolm   Fox Indianapolis 

Benjamin  H.  Gaither Indianapolis 

Terry  Geise Indianapolis 

Roger  Giles Richmond,  Ind. 

Harry  C.  Gilmore Franklin,  Ind. 

Homer  B.  Goodale New  Castle,  Ind. 

Paul  R.  Graham Elv^ood,  Ind. 

*Dwight  Green Indianapolis 

Hugh   H.   Green Indianapolis 

Earl    M.   Gregory Indianapolis 

John  L.  Griffith Indianapolis 

Edd  G.  Hagaman Indianapolis 

Hallie  L.  Hamilton Yeoman,  Ind. 

Samuel  O.   Hart Anderson,   Ind. 

Robert  F.  Heffner Muncie,  Ind. 

Lewis  C.  Herbert Cairo,  111. 

Elmer  H.  Hess Indianapolis 

^Dropped  from  the  roll  of  Base  Hospital  32,  prior  to  sailing,  by  transfer 
or  otlierwise. 


i6  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Wilbur   Hicks Indianapolis 

Emmett  Hiland Zionsville,  Ind. 

Howard  E.  Hildebrand Huntington,   Ind. 

Benjamin   D.    Hitz Indianapolis 

John   W.   Hoffman Indianapolis 

Harry  R.  Hollenbeck Indianapolis 

♦William  J,  Holliday Indianapolis 

Herman  H.   Hollingsworlh Goshen,   Ind. 

John   J.    Holloran Indianapolis 

Robert  V.  Hunsdon New  Harmony,  Ind. 

William  V.  Iverson Indianapolis 

Coutsie  R.  Jackson Noblesville,  Ind. 

Loomis  Jennings Indianapolis 

Richard  K.  Johnson Indianapolis 

William  C.  Johnson Lafayette,  Ind. 

Dwight   K.   Jones Indianapolis 

Gerald  G.  Jones Danville,   Ind. 

Arthur  A.  Judd Indianapolis 

Basil  D.  Judkins Indianapolis 

Edward  C.  Kahle Indianapolis 

Charles    D.    Kelly Indianapolis 

*  Wallace  Kemp Indianapolis 

Russell  B.  Kirkpatrick Rushville,  Ind. 

John  P.  Kroeger Indianapolis 

Edward  Kurr St.  Paul,  Ind. 

Cornelius   J.    Lanahan Indianapolis 

Thomas  Lanahan Indianapolis 

John  H.  Langan Tipton,  Ind. 

Lloyd  L.  Locke Bridgeport,  Ind. 

William   P.   Loechle Indianapolis 

Luke  Logan Indianapolis 

*Lynn  Logsdon Indianapolis 

Clifford  Lounsbury Schenectady,  N.  Y. 

Clifford  E.  Lupton Indianapolis 

Marchael   C.    Lyons Indianapolis 

George  E.  Magee Indianapolis 

Artie  V.   Mangus Indianapolis 

Paul  R.  Matthews Indianapolis 

♦Dropped  from  the  roll  of  Base  Hospital  32,  prior  to  sailing,  by  transfer 
or  otherwise. 


CARE   dp:   L'EST,   C()XTREXK\-II.LE 


w 


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E  in-  roXT  kDrcE.  l 


•  WARD   THE    RdVAE 


Fort  Harrison  17 

Walker  R.  Marshall Bloomfield,  Ind. 

John  R.  Maugham Indianapolis 

John  McArdle Indianapolis 

William  N.  McClure Indianapolis 

*Marion  McCormick Indianapolis 

Duncan  C.  McDougall Indianapolis 

Irwin  C.  McDonald Lebanon,  Ind. 

Jay  B.  McElwaine Indianapolis 

Thomas  D.  McHugh Indianapolis 

John  D.  Mclntire Indianapolis 

Cyril  A.  McLaughlin Belief ontaine,  Ohio 

*Charles  Meyer,  Jr Indianapolis 

Elmer  E.  Miller Elwood,  Ind. 

*Martin   Moran Indianapolis 

Pierre  S.  Morgan Indianapolis 

Paul  W.  Mulcahy Logansport,  Ind. 

*Theodore   Munchoff Indianapolis 

Wade  J.  O'Hern Indianapolis 

Raymond  O'Reilly Indianapolis 

*Kenner  Palmer Washington,  Ind. 

*Dudley   Pfaff Indianapolis 

Peter  Pfranklin U.  S.  Army 

Vern  F.  Plough Marion,  Ind. 

Theodore  G.  Plumb IndianapoHs 

Harold  B.  Poindexter IndianapoHs 

Whitney  C.  Porter Indianapolis 

Joseph  M.  Pugh Indianapolis 

Edward  T.  Quinn Indianapolis 

Oliver  Reed Indianapolis 

Leonard  R.  Reel Indianapolis 

Edward  D.  Reeves Indianapolis 

Clarence  D.  Reitenour Union  City,  Ind. 

Roy  F.  Rich Indianapolis 

Harry  L.  Riddell Indianapolis 

Glenn  A,  Riggs Indianapolis 

Paul  F.  Ritter Indianapolis 

Dar  A.  Robinson Frankfort,  Ind. 

Paul  N.  Routh Zionsville,  Ind. 


♦Dropped  from  the  roll  of  Base  Hospital  2)2,  prior  to  sailing,  by  transfer 
or  otherwise. 


1 8  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Frank  Russell Greensburg,  Ind. 

Albert  C.  Sanagan Indianapolis 

*George  Sandf ord Indianapolis 

Albert  Satters Morgantown,  Ind. 

♦Paul   Scharffin Indianapolis 

Ferrell  G.  Searle Greenville,  Ohio 

♦Piatt   Searle Indianapolis 

Charles  G.  Selch Indianapolis 

Vernon  G.  Sheller Indianapolis 

Arnold  J.  Sellmeyer Indianapolis 

Peter  J.  Sertell Indianapolis 

Glenn   Smith Indianapolis 

Montelle  E.   Smith Indianapolis 

♦Raymond  Smith Terre  Haute,  Ind. 

Claude  E.  Snyder Indianapolis 

Wilbur  M.  Stephan Chalmers,  Ind. 

William  A.  Stephens Indianapolis 

♦Elam  Stewart Paxton,  111. 

Charles  S.  Stough Indianapolis 

Louis  S.  Stuart Indianapolis 

Bernard   Stuvel Indianapolis 

Leslie  E.  Summers Chicago,  111. 

Martin  L.  Sutton Indianapohs 

George  O.  Swaim Indianapolis 

♦Ralph  D.  Thrasher Indianapolis 

William  H.  Wagner Shelbyville,  Ind. 

♦Ray  Wakefield Indianapolis 

Paul  W.  Weer Indianapolis 

Russell  D.  Wells Indianapolis 

Don  Westfall Indianapolis 

Dudley  White Spencer,  Ind. 

George  L.  White Kentland,  Ind. 

Clifford  J.  Williams Indianapolis 

Earl  M.  Wise Indianapolis 

Worth  E.  Wright Indianapolis 

Earl  W.  Yarling Indianapolis 

Lowell  R.  Young Indianapolis 

Ray  R.  Yount Trafalgar,  Ind. 

♦Dropped  from  the  roll  of  Base  Hospital  32,  prior  to  sailing,  by  transfer 
or  otherwise. 


Fort  Harrison  19 

The  last  month  at  Fort  Harrison  was  filled  with  ru- 
mors. The  unit  was  impatient  for  active  service,  and  sail- 
ing orders  were  expected  momentarily.  On  November 
3rd  the  enlisted  men  gave  a  farewell  party  at  the  Hotel 
Severin  in  honor  of  Major  and  Mrs.  Beery.  The  party  was 
a  great  success,  but  the  farewell  proved  premature,  and 
time  dragged  on.  About  the  middle  of  November  it  be- 
came known  that  the  hospital  equipment  which  had  been 
shipped  to  New  York  had  been  sent  ahead  to  an  unknown 
port  in  France.  It  was  also  published  that  all  units  were 
to  leave,  and  the  fort  was  to  be  cleared  by  December  ist. 
Hopes  ran  high,  and  rumors  multiplied.  On  November 
28th  orders  were  actually  received  to  be  prepared  to  en- 
train December  ist,  only  to  be  rescinded  within  twenty- 
four  hours.  It  was  rumored  that  the  hospital  would  not 
sail  before  spring.  Hopes  were  dashed,  and  the  morale 
was  low.  About  ten  o'clock  Saturday  morning,  December 
ist,  after  many  of  the  officers  and  men  had  left  the  fort  on 
passes,  orders  were  received  that  Base  Hospital  32  would 
entrain  for  Hoboken  at  six  o'clock  that  night.  With  less 
than  eight  hours  to  complete  all  traveling  arrangements, 
the  last  day  at  the  fort  was  one  of  feverish  activity.  Phone 
calls  and  messengers  were  rushed  to  Indianapolis  to  bring 
back  the  men  who  had  gone  in  on  passes.  Typewriters, 
office  equipment,  quartermaster  and  mess  supplies  were 
packed  for  shipment.  Travel  rations  were  obtained,  bar- 
racks cleaned  and  personal  baggage  packed.  By  five 
o'clock  Base  Hospital  32  was  ready  to  leave.  Meanwhile 
news  of  the  travel  orders  spread  over  Indianapolis,  and 
relatives  and  friends  gathered  at  the  fort  for  a  last  fare- 
well. At  a  few  minutes  before  six  the  men  shouldered 
their  packs,  and,  with  officers  leading,  marched  to  the 
waiting  train. 

During  these  three  months  while  the  officers  and  men 
were  training  at  Fort  Harrison  the  nurses  of  Base  Hos- 


20  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

pital  32  were  undergoing  a  somewhat  similar  experience 
at  Hoboken  and  Ellis  Island. 

On  September  7,  1917,  the  following  nurses  took  the 
oath  of  office  at  the  Indianapolis  City  Hospital  and  were 
assigned  to  active  service  in  the  military  establishment: 

Florence  J.  Martin,  Chief  Nurse Indianapolis 

Hazel  Alkire Marco,  Ind. 

Elizabeth  Bachinger Indianapolis 

Lillie  V.  Beck Indianapolis 

Hazel  Fern  Bennett Indianapolis 

Martha  R.  Berger South  Bend,  Ind. 

May  Berry   Indianapolis 

Helen  Biggert Crawf ordsville,  Ind. 

Nellie  M.  Birch Terre  Haute,  Ind. 

Dixie   Borders Indianapolis 

Mary  M.  Bowen Indianapolis 

Bertha  E.  Boyles Indianapolis 

Viola  Mae  Burleson Indianapolis 

Julia  Clements Indianapolis 

Mayme  C.  Clickner Indianapolis 

Nelle  B.  Davis Indianapolis 

Ruth  E.  Dillon Indianapolis 

*Goldie   Downs Indianapolis 

^     Emma  F.  Ealey Indianapolis 

Jessie  M.  Ervin Indianapolis 

Maude  F.  Essig Elkhart,  Ind. 

Mary   Fergusson Indianapolis 

Susan  Genolin Indianapolis 

Edna  June  Gray Indianapolis 

Mary  Gladys  Grim Indianapolis 

Mary  B.  Houser Indianapolis 

Birda  R.  Hunt Indianapolis 

Ruth  H.  Ikerd Bloomington,  Ind. 

Mary  F.  Kochman Indianapolis 

Alma  Lancaster Indianapolis 

*Laura  E.  Lowe Indianapolis 

♦Dropped  from  the  roll  of  Base  Hospital  32,  prior  to  sailing,  by  transfer 
or  otherwise. 


Fort  Harrison  21 

Bertha  B.  Mahan Indianapolis 

Mary  Ruth  McBee Craw  fords  ville,  Ind. 

Elizabeth  Melville Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 

Estelle  F.  Miller Indianapolis 

Jeanette  A.  Miller Indianapolis 

Edna  C.  Mowrer Indianapolis 

Mary  E.  Mullen Liberty,  Ind. 

Clara  L.  Need Indianapolis 

Mayme  O'Connell Indianapolis 

Marie  O'Keef e Indianapolis 

Elsie  Peacock Indianapolis 

Lena  Lee  Payne Indianapolis 

Evelyn  Potter Indianapolis 

Amy  A.  Prosser Indianapolis 

Beulah  G.  Prust Terre  Haute,  Ind. 

Tulie  I.  Roberson Indianapolis 

Nellie  Rock Indianapolis 

Eleanor  C.  Ryan Indianapolis 

Ida  A.  Scholer Indianapolis 

Myrtle  Shimer Wanamaker,  Ind. 

Golda  F.  Smith Terre  Haute,  Ind. 

Helen  A.  Thompson New  Harmony,  Ind. 

Addie  Threlkeld Indianapolis 

Ruth  Gayle  Totten Indianapolis 

*Mary  Tyner Indianapolis 

Hermina  E.  Wagner Indianapolis 

Alys  Weitendorf Indianapolis 

Ruth  Wright Indianapolis 

The  majority  of  the  nurses  who  volunteered  held  re- 
sponsible positions  in  the  different  lines  of  nursing  activi- 
ties, superintendents  of  training  schools,  supervisors,  head 
surgical  nurses,  public  health  nurses  and  valuable  private 
duty  nurses  alike  gave  up  their  work  to  serve  with  the 
Base  Hospital  without  question  of  remuneration  or  posi- 
tion on  the  nursing  staff. 

On  Sunday  morning,  September  9,  1917,  these  nurses 

♦Dropped  from  the  roll  of  Base  Hospital  32,  prior  to  sailing,  by  transfer 
or  otherwise. 


22  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

left  Indianapolis,  under  orders  to  proceed  to  U.  S.  Army 
General  Hospital  No.  i,  Gunhill  Road  and  Bainbridge 
Avenue,  New  York,  to  await  transportation  to  France. 

Just  before  the  unit  boarded  the  train  it  received  an 
American  flag,  the  gift  of  the  Indianapolis  City  Hospital 
Alumnae  Association.  The  colors  were  presented  by  Miss 
Elizabeth  Johnson  and  accepted  by  Florence  J.  Martin. 
Later,  while  in  New  York,  the  unit  received  an  Indiana 
banner,  the  gift  of  Mrs.  Charles  Mayer,  of  Indianapolis, 
and  the  Indianapolis  Chapter  of  the  American  Red  Cross 
gave  each  nurse  a  rubber  blanket  and  fifty  dollars  in  gold. 

When  the  nurses  arrived  in  New  York  they  were 
joined  by 

Alary  A.  Scales  (Assistant  to  C.  N.) Newark,  N.  J. 

Mary  Kennedy Harvey,  111. 

Alice  Harvey Washington,  D.  C. 

Mary  Mangan Detroit,  Mich. 

Johanna  Montgomery Detroit,  Mich. 

and  just  before  sailing: 

Margaret  McCoppin Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

Anna  Marie  Rohr Massapequa,  L.  I. 

Olga  Anderson Plainfield,  N.  J. 

Florine  Ostenzi Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

For  the  first  three  weeks  the  nurses  were  quartered  at 
the  newly  established  U.  S.  Army  General  Hospital  (Co- 
lumbia War  Hospital),  which  was  built  to  accommodate 
1,500  American  wounded  when  they  would  come  from 
the  European  battlefields.  Here  the  nurses  received  their 
first  impressions  of  army  life,  the  wooden  barracks  with 
rows  of  white  beds,  the  shower  baths,  the  mess  line  and 
bare  tables,  the  two  hours'  drill  each  morning,  and  the 
grand  rush  into  the  city  for  uniforms  and  other  equip- 
ment. 


Fort  Harrison  23 

On  September  28th  orders  were  received  for  the  Army 
Nurse  Corps  of  Base  Hospital  No.  32  to  proceed  to  St. 
Mary's  Hospital,  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  at  1 1  a.  m.,  on  the  fol- 
lowing day.  The  three-weeks'  stay  at  Hoboken  was  by  no 
means  uneventful,  the  most  important  event  being  the 
Red  Cross  parade  on  October  4th,  in  which  10,000  women 
in  the  service  of  the  Red  Cross  marched  down  Fifth  Ave- 
nue. The  nurses  of  Base  Hospital  No.  32,  in  blue  dresses 
without  capes,  marched  with  2,000  other  nurses,  who 
were  soon  to  be  in  service  in  France.  Then  after  more 
days  of  waiting  came  the  third  installment  of  travel  or- 
ders. Baggage  was  to  be  ready  at  8  a.  m.,  and  again 
sailing  orders  loomed  up  only  to  land  the  nurses  at  Ellis 
Island. 

There,  through  the  efficiency  and  kindness  of  Misses 
Mury  and  Jourgensen,  the  final  touches  were  put  on  the 
preparations  for  overseas  service.  The  terrifying  pass  that 
each  nurse  must  guard  with  her  life.  Liberty  Bonds,  War 
Risk  Insurance  and  identification  papers  were  secured. 

On  October  27th  the  following  civilian  employees  of 
the  enlisted  personnel  reported  for  mobilization  with  the 
nurses  of  Base  Hospital  32: 

Mary   Bostwick    (Stenographer) Indianapolis 

Charlotte   Cathcart    (Stenographer) Indianapolis 

Georgia  Finlay  (Dietitian) Oneida,  111. 

Geraldine  Frost  (Stenographer) Washington,  D.  C. 

Mary  Beaty  Herod  (Interpreter) Indianapolis 

Gertrude  Steffen   (Stenographer) Indianapolis 

From  the  time  they  joined  the  unit  they  became  an  indis- 
pensable part  of  the  organization. 

On  Decem.ber  2nd  the  long-awaited  travel  orders  came. 
Since  it  was  Sunday,  only  a  few  of  the  nurses  were  found 
at  home,  and  the  last  boat  nurses  did  not  receive  the  news 
until  midnight.  The  rest  of  the  night  was  taken  up  with 
hurried  shampoos,  baths,  washing  and  final  packing.   But 


24  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

with  the  invaluable  assistance  of  Punch  and  Judy,  two 
soldiers  who  had  been  assigned  to  the  nurses  at  Ellis 
Island,  all  baggage  was  ready  and  the  nurses  boarded  the 
tug  that  carried  them  to  the  Hoboken  docks  at  1 1  a.  m. 
The  nurses  of  32  will  never  forget  the  kindness  of  the 
Ellis  Island  employees,  especially  in  those  last  few  min- 
utes— the  restaurant  men  bringing  sandwiches  and  coffee 
to  the  tug,  the  captain  holding  up  the  boat  until  the  mail, 
just  arrived,  had  been  distributed,  and  the  farewell  from 
the  hundreds  of  employees  in  the  immigration  building. 
It  was  on  board  the  now  famous  George  Washington, 
about  to  make  its  first  trip  as  a  transport,  that  the  nurses 
joined  the  officers  and  enlisted  personnel  of  the  unit,  and 
at  ten  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  the  4th  of  December  set 
sail  for  France. 


Ill 

The  Voyage 

LINES  DEDICATED  TO  THE  BAY  OF  BISCAY. 

The  terrorizing  Teuton  and  the  wily  Magyar  horde, 
Were  threatening  the  Universe,  and  so  we  went  aboard, 
That  steady  transport,  Washington,  one  sunht  day  serene, 
To  sail  the  Bay  of  Biscay  in  the  Fall  of  Seventeen. 

The  troop  ship,  it  was  crowded  with  coons  and  stevedores, 
Packed  lengthwise,  sidewise,  endwise,  betwixt  the  various  floors. 
(In  nautical  vernacular,  I'd  say  "the  decks  between"), 
When  we  sailed  the  Bay  of  Biscay  in  the  Fall  of  Seventeen. 

Our  saihng  was  auspicious  as  we  slipped  away  at  night. 
They  corked  up  all  the  funnels  and  they  doused  each  vagrant 

light. 
As  we  slipped  away  to  Europe  with  water,  wind  and  steam. 
To  sail  the  Bay  of  Biscay  in  the  Fall  of  Seventeen. 

The  planet-powdered  heavens  were  studded  with  the  flare, 
Of  lustrous  constellations  whose  providential  glare. 
Insistently  invited  us  to  hurry  and  convene. 
Across  the  Bay  of  Biscay  in  the  Fall  of  Seventeen. 

But  Aeolus  was  angry  and  he  loosed  a  tiny  breeze. 

Which  crumpled  up  the  ocean  with  overwhelming  seas. 

Till  each  face  was  full  of  anguish,  each  countenance  was  green, 

When  we  crossed  the  Bay  of  Biscay  in  the  Fall  of  Seventeen. 

The  pudding  that  we  swallowed  we  soon  put  over  side. 

With  gastric  gurgitations  that  could  not  be  denied. 

There  would  have  been  no  difference  if  dessert  had  been  ice 

cream, 
The  Bay  was  mighty  turbulent,  December,  Seventeen. 

25 


26  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Slum-gullion  for  breakfast,  slum-gullion  at  noon, 
With  frequent  interspersing  of  the  ever-faithful  prune. 
Oh,  these  and  other  hardships  would  often  intervene. 
When  we  sailed  the  Bay  of  Biscay  in  the  Fall  of  Seventeen. 

The  sun  was  always  shining  in  the  pleasant  land  of  France, 
The  women  all  were  beautiful,  you  saw  it  at  a  glance. 
The  wine  was  effervescent,  it  had  to  be,  I  ween, 
To  tempt  me  'cross  old  Biscay  in  the  Fall  of  Seventeen. 

W^hen  the  struggle  is  concluded  and  victory  is  sure. 
The  foe  must  take  some  punishment  most  grievous  to  endure ; 
I'll  ofYer  this  suggestion  when  the  councillors  convene — 
They  be  made  to  cross  old  Biscay  in  some  Fall  Hke  Seventeen. 
December,  1917.  Dr.  Carleton  B.  McCulloch. 


THREE  months  and  four  days  after  Base  Hospital 
32  had  been  mustered  in  the  unit  set  sail  for  France. 
The  officers,  nurses  and  enlisted  men  had  their  first  re- 
union on  board  the  transport  George  IVashington  on  the 
morning  of  December  3rd.  When  the  nurses  and  their 
multitudinous  baggage  arrived  the  officers  and  men  were 
already  aboard,  having  detrained  at  Hoboken  early  in  the 
morning  and  marched  directly  to  the  pier. 

Here,  after  a  final  physical  examination,  the  men  filed 
up  the  gangway  and  were  directed  to  their  quarters  in 
section  G-i,  far  down  below  the  water  line  where  the 
bunks  were  swung  in  tiers,  three  high,  one  above  the 
other.  As  they  passed  on  to  the  ship  each  man  was  handed 
a  printed  slip  of  instructions,  of  which  the  following  is  a 
facsimile: 


The  Voyage  27 

INSTRUCTIONS  FOR  TROOPS. 


Your  bunk 
No.  is 


Troop  Space 


Abandon  Ship. 


Decks  are  lettered  from  upper  deck  down  :   A,  B,  C,  D,  K,  F  and  G. 

Troop  spaces  are  lettered  and  numbered :  the  letter  signifying  the  deck  and 
the  number  the  troop  space  on  that  deck,  counting  from  forward. 

Keep  your  life  preserver  with  you  at  all  times  when  at  sea.  Before  disem- 
barking, make  the  hfe  preserver  fast  to  your  bunk,  as  others  will  want  it  after 
you  have  left  the  ship. 

The  use  of  tobacco,  either  smoking  or  chewing,  is  prohibited  at 
all  times  in  the  berthing  spaces. 

Smoking  allowed  in  messing  spaces  on  E  deck  at  night  after  supper, 
until  tatoo  is  sounded.   On  open  deck  during  daylight. 

Matches  and  searchlights  are  not  allowed  in  the  ship. 

Smoking  lamps  are  provided  in  messing  spaces  instead  of  matches. 

Remember  that  an  exposed  light  may  result  in  the  discovery  of  the  ship 
by  the  enemy.  Do  not  throw  rubbish  of  any  kind  into  toilet  or  wash 
troughs.    (This  includes  tobacco  bags  and  heavy  paper.) 

It  is  forbidden  to  throw  anything  overboard  in  the  daytime. 

All  rubbish  will  be  put  in  the  rubbish  cans  placed  about  the  ship. 

All  wooden  boxes  and  other  articles  that  will  float  will  be  sent  to  the  fire 
room  or  galleys  and  burnt.  Metal  boxes  and  cans  will  be  punched  with  holes 
and  thrown  overboard  at  night  with  the  garbage.  Do  not  place  anything  in 
garbage  cans  that  will  float. 

Wash  your  mess  gear  in  TUBS  provided  for  that  purpose.  Wash  your 
face  and  hands  in  BASINS  in  the  WASH  ROOMS.  DO  NOT 
REMOVE  BASINS  from  the  WASH  ROOMS. 

When  the  general  alarm  gongs  are  sounded,  men  assigned  to  life  boats  will 
"fall  in"  abreast  of  their  respective  boats. 

Men  berthed  in  F-1,  F-3,  F-4  and  G-1  who  man  life  rafts,  will  "fall  in"  in 
E-4.  All  other  men  will  stand  fast  by  their  bunks  and  await  orders. 

In  case  of  Abandon  Ship,  remember  there  is  lots  of  time  and  every  man 
must  wait  for  a  call. 

Troops  may  use  the  following  spaces  for  recreation : 

"C"  deck,  both  sides,  from  main-mast  to  jiggermast. 

"D"  deck,  from  after  bulkhead  to  stern. 

Troops  must  not  enter  officers'  quarters  except  on  duty. 

Troops  are  forbidden  the  following  places  at  all  times,  except  when  on 
duty: 

1.  All  that  part  of  the  ship  forward  of  the  mainm.ast. 

2.  All  decks  above  "C"  deck. 

3.  "B"  and  "C"  deck  of  after  deck  house. 

4.  Engine  and  fire  rooms. 

5.  Steering  engine  room. 

6.  Cargo  spaces  and  hatch  trunks. 

Do  not  crowd  or  rush.  To  do  so  will  cause  confusion  and  possible  loss  of 
life.  Consult  bulletin  boards  for  your  Abandon  Ship  station. 


28  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

The  George  Washington  had  formerly  been  a  German 
liner  of  much  glory  and  splendor,  with  noble  saloons  and 
lounges,  luxurious  furniture,  and  an  abundance  of  carv- 
ing, frescoing  and  other  decorations,  but  since  the  time 
the  German  government  had  parted  with  its  prize  all  this 
had  been  changed.  Gone  were  the  handsome  furnishings 
of  the  boat;  vanished  entirely  were  the  articles  and  objects 
designed  for  the  gratification  of  a  luxury-loving  traveling 
public.  The  George,  as  the  boat  came  to  be  called,  with 
more  or  less  affection,  depending  on  whether  one  was  sea- 
sick or  not,  was  now  a  transport,  nothing  more.  All  that 
remained  of  its  former  splendor  were  the  placid  portraits 
of  George  Washington  and  his  faithful  spouse,  Martha, 
which  still  gazed  down  from  the  walls  of  the  former 
lounge. 

The  unit  had  felt  large  and  important  before  it  went  on 
board,  but  it  was  quickly  absorbed  in  the  vast  throngs  of 
other  patriotic  voyagers.  In  all  the  transport  carried 
some  8,000  troops.  These  included  the  Sixth  regiment  of 
engineers  in  command  of  Colonel  Hartz,  who  was  mili- 
tary commander  of  the  boat,  several  companies  of  ex- 
tremely brunette  stevedores  fresh  from  the  southern  states, 
and  a  scattering  of  infantrymen,  artillerymen,  aviators 
and  coast  artillerymen,  not  to  mention  some  army  field 
clerks  and  civilian  employees,  who  did  not  seem  to  ex- 
actly belong.  Among  the  more  noteworthy  passengers 
were  six  major  generals:  Major  Generals  Green,  Hale, 
Plummer,  Bell,  Allen  and  Swift. 

The  first  day  on  board  passed  uneventfully.  Those  who 
imagined  the  boat  would  sail  that  night  were  disap- 
pointed. All  that  night  and  all  the  following  day  the  big 
bateau  rerhained  tied  to  Pier  3.  Those  on  board  roamed 
at  large  over  the  vessel,  poking  their  noses  down  the 
hatches  where  loading  was  continually  going  on,  mount- 
ing the  bridge  deck  for  a  better  view  of  the  harbor,  or 


The  Voyage  29 

exploring  the  lowest  recesses  of  the  hold.  AH  about  was 
great  activity.  Whistles  tooted,  machinery  groaned  and 
squeaked.  Guards  stood  at  the  gangways  to  prevent  any 
one  from  going  ashore.  Everybody  wandered  about  ask- 
ing everybody  else  w^hen  the  boat  would  sail,  and  while 
no  one  knew  definitely,  all  concerned  were  right  on  hand 
with  "I  heard"  or  "they  say" — the  rumors  including  such 
comforting  reports  as  that  Wall  Street  was  betting  four  to 
one  that  the  George  Washington  would  never  make  port. 
An  "abandon  ship"  drill  also  enlivened  the  last  day,  every 
one  being  presented  with  brand  new  life  preservers  all  as 
white  as  snow,  although  long  before  the  end  of  the  voyage 
was  reached  these  same  life  preservers  looked  as  if  they 
had  made  numerous  journeys  in  an  ash  cart. 

The  rumor,  apparently  well  founded,  was  abroad  that 
the  George  would  sail  the  night  of  December  4th,  and 
every  one  was  naturally  desirous  of  remaining  above  deck 
to  do  a  little  farewell  cheering  and  catch  a  last  glimpse 
of  the  Statue  of  Liberty.  Only  a  favored  few  were  thus 
privileged,  and  at  an  early  hour  the  vast  majority  was 
chased  below  decks  to  their  hermetically  sealed  state- 
rooms, or  to  their  more  or  less  odorous  quarters  on  the 
lower  decks.  Sometime  between  ten  and  eleven  o'clock 
the  throb  of  the  engines  ran  over  the  ship,  increasing 
steadily  in  intensity,  and  the  George  Washington  started 
on  its  journey  for  France,  slipping  out,  as  did  all  other 
transports,  silent  and  dark,  not  a  light  showing. 

Far,  far  from  the  U.  S.  A.,  was  the  George  when  morn- 
ing came.  On  all  sides  the  ocean  stretched  away  endlessly 
to  the  horizon.  Accompanying  the  George  Washington 
was  another,  and  somewhat  smaller  transport,  the  Huron, 
and  convoying  the  two  were  the  Montana,  a.  venerable  sea 
fighter,  and  a  torpedo  destroyer  which  was  to  chaperon 
the  convoy  until  it  got  far  enough  out  into  the  ocean  to 
reduce  the  danger  of  submarines  to  a  minimum. 


30  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Every  possible  precaution  against  submarines  was 
taken.  All  matches  and  flashlights  were  given  up  to  the 
ship's  authorities.  Windows  and  portholes  were  closed 
and  sealed,  and  all  passageways  opening  directly  on  to 
the  decks  were  either  unlighted,  or  lighted  only  by  a  dim 
blue  lamp.  Every  few  yards  along  the  rail  of  the  prome- 
nade deck  were  lookout  stations,  in  each  of  which  two 
guards,  one  sailor  and  one  soldier,  constantly  scanned  the 
horizon  with  field  glasses,  and  reported  every  foreign 
object  to  the  bridge  by  telephone.  The  ship  zig-zagged 
continuously  on  her  course,  veering  first  to  right  then  to 
left,  and  so  did  the  other  ships  in  the  convoy.  Nor  was 
the  George  entirely  unprepared  to  do  a  little  scrapping 
on  her  own  account,  as  guns,  with  nosebags  over  the  muz- 
zles to  protect  them  from  the  damp  sea  air  were  mounted 
both  fore  and  aft.  Target  practice  one  afternoon  proved 
the  presence  of  some  excellent  gunners  aboard,  but  no 
submarine  offered  them  a  chance  for  real  action. 

It  was  not  long  before  all  on  board  became  accustomed 
to  the  ship,  and  to  its  routine,  although,  aside  from  the 
regular  "Abandon  Ship"  drills,  which  came  at  irregular 
intervals,  there  was  not  much  routine,  except  for  the 
guards  in  the  lookout  boxes  and  the  unhappy  officers  who 
had  to  take  their  turns  climbing  aloft  to  the  crow's  nest. 
Very  few  of  the  officers  escaped  this,  and  a  portly  officer 
crawling  up  a  ladder  and  later  making  his  way  through 
the  inside  of  the  mast,  to  emerge  into  the  open  and  haul 
himself  over  the  edge  of  the  nest,  is  considerable  of  a 
sight.  The  decks  were  absolutely  dark  at  night;  not  a 
cigar,  cigarette  or  flashlight  was  permitted.  The  precau- 
tions even  went  so  far  that  some  of  the  nurses  who  had 
tam-o'shanters  with  little  white  pompons  on  the  top  were 
ordered  to  remove  said  white  pompons  for  fear  that  a 
prowling  U-boat  might  sight  one  and  get  the  range. 
White  sweaters  were  forbidden.   As  for  lighting  a  match 


The  Voyage  31 

on  deck,  anybody  that  did  that  would  probably  have  been 
buried  at  sea.  However,  though  this  business  about  the 
darkened  decks  was  undoubtedly  a  hardship,  all  con- 
cerned seemed  to  bear  up  bravely  under  it,  and  it  did  not 
interfere  with  nocturnal  promenades. 

The  enlisted  men  would  gather  together  on  E  deck  and 
sing  such  famous  cantos  as  "Over  There,"  "Joan  of  Arc" 
and  "Good-bye,  Broadway."  They  sang  well  and  always 
had  a  large  and  enthusiastic  audience  hanging  over  the 
railing  on  the  deck  above  listening,  everybody  with  life 
preservers  slung  around  their  necks,  like  the  Albatross 
and  the  Ancient  Mariner  in  the  poem. 

The  days  passed  quietly  and  peacefully  until  the  after- 
noon of  December  7th.  It  had  been  warm  that  morning, 
but  the  sky  and  sea  were  gray,  and  it  got  colder,  and  be- 
fore long  those  who  had  loudly  proclaimed  they  wanted 
to  see  a  storm  at  sea  got  their  wish.  Rain  and  a  tearing 
wind  swept  down  upon  the  convoy.  The  seas  got  higher 
and  higher,  and  the  George  tipped  like  a  pendulum,  while 
the  little  torpedo  destroyer  careened  like  a  toy  boat,  some- 
times completely  hidden  by  the  water.  Along  in  the 
middle  of  the  afternoon  there  began  a  series  of  terrific 
crashes  from  the  dining-room  on  C  deck,  as,  with  a  grand 
rattle,  all  the  crockery  slid  off  the  tables,  and  from  all 
parts  of  the  boat  sounded  the  bang  and  smash  of  bottles, 
dishes  and  other  breakables. 

It  was  then  that  the  good  sailors  began  to  be  distin- 
guished from  the  bad  sailors,  for  mal  de  mer  descended 
like  a  blight  upon  the  company.  It  was  no  respecter  of 
ranks — generals,  majors  and  colonels  succumbed  and  lay 
in  ghastly  greenish  rows  in  their  deck  chairs.  The  sight 
on  the  foredeck,  where  the  enlisted  men  emerged  to  take 
the  air,  was  pitiful  in  the  extreme.  Those  who  were  not 
seasick  rudely  sang  a  song,  "My  breakfast  lies  over  the 
ocean,  my  breakfast  lies  over  the  sea,  my  breakfast  lies 


32  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

over  the  ocean,  O!  bring  back  my  breakfast  to  me,"  and 
on  all  sides  were  evidences  of  the  deadly  hatred  engen- 
dered between  those  who  are  seasick  and  those  who  are 
not.  The  majority  of  those  on  board  passed  entirely  away, 
and  lay  in  their  rocking,  tipping  berths  or  bunks,  where 
they  slid  around  like  so  many  fried  eggs  on  a  plate.  It  was 
on  this  morning,  too,  that  a  man  fell  overboard  from  the 
Montana,  that  was  wallowing  along  a  short  distance  away, 
and  although  a  life  preserver  was  thrown  over  to  him, 
nobody  could  tell  with  any  certainty  whether  or  not  he 
was  rescued. 

The  next  day,  Sunday,  was  probably  the  most  unusual 
Sunday  that  any  of  the  travelers  had  ever  experienced. 
The  sea  was  smoother  by  this  time  and  many  of  the  dead 
had  come  back  to  life,  and  once  more  the  air  was  as  warm 
as  summer.  The  Montana  was  to  the  starboard  of  the 
George,  and  the  Huron  to  port — already  we  had  picked 
up  these  nautical  terms — while  the  destroyer  ran  about 
the  surface  of  the  deep  like  a  spider,  once  going  off  to 
investigate  a  mysterious  steamer  that  appeared  on  the 
horizon,  but  neglecting  to  inform  anybody  what  it  was 
all  about. 

The  unusual  feature  of  the  day  was  the  church  service 
that  was  held  on  E  deck.  Not  that  there  was  anything 
unusual  about  the  service  itself,  for  it  consisted  only  of  a 
prayer  or  two,  some  hymns — with  "Matty"  presiding  at 
the  piano — and  a  short  talk  by  Bishop  Francis,  but  the 
whole  scene  was  unforgettable,  the  nurses  and  officers 
grouped  on  benches,  while  enlisted  men,  black  and  white, 
stood  in  every  available  corner,  with  the  impressive  figure 
of  the  bishop  conducting  the  simple  rites.  The  Episco- 
palian service  was  followed  by  mass. 

The  next  four  days  the  weather  remained  warm  and 
delightful,  as  if  the  George  was  cruising  in  tropic  waters, 
with  the  sea  like  liquid  glass.   We  had  been  told  that  we 


The  Voyage  33 

would  soon  enter  the  danger  zone,  and  that  a  convoy  of 
destroyers  would  shortly  pick  us  up,  but  for  days  all  the 
watching  of  the  horizon  failed  to  reveal  this  much  adver- 
tised convoy,  and  "somebody"  said  that  a  message  had 
been  received  in  the  wireless  room,  and  that  the  message 
was  said  to  have  come  from  a  U-boat,  and  that  it  said, 
"Come  on,  George  JVashington,  you're  three  days  late." 
Those  of  nervous  temperament  were  regaled  with  this 
narrative  so  frequently  that  they  got  a  drawn  look  about 
the  eyes.  Abandon  Ship  drills  went  on,  the  life  preservers 
by  this  time  presenting  a  most  horrible  appearance.  The 
engineers'  fife  and  drum  corps  played  frequently,  with 
ear-splitting  energy;  target  practice  was  indulged  in  by 
the  gobs,  the  colored  brethren  expressing  great  distaste 
for  this  proceeding.  A  new  custom  was  also  inaugurated 
— that  of  serving  only  two  meals  a  day,  breakfast  and  din- 
ner, at  strange  and  unearthly  hours.  Nobody  understood 
exactly  what  entering  the  danger  zone  had  to  do  with 
dispensing  with  the  third  meal,  or  whether  it  was  because 
the  eats  were  running  short,  but  there  was  nobody  to 
argue  with.  Patronage  of  the  canteen  increased. 

And  then  about  noon  on  December  15th  a  wonderful 
thing  took  place.  From  various  points  on  the  horizon 
black  smoke  smudges  appeared.  Field  glasses  were  at  a 
premium,  while  everybody  struggled  for  a  look.  The 
smudges  slowly  revealed  themselves  as  vessels  of  some 
sort.  They  came  closer,  and  when  they  were  close  enough 
to  really  be  seen,  it  was  as  if  a  flock  of  half  a  dozen  gaudy 
butterflies  had  appeared  out  of  space,  to  circle  about  the 
George  Washington. 

The  camoufleurs  had  done  themselves  proud  on  those 
six  destroyers — camoufleurs  with  an  imagination  and 
plenty  of  paint.  Every  color  of  the  rainbow,  and  many 
colors  that  would  be  total  strangers  to  a  rainbow  were 
represented   in   the  brilliantly   hued   stripes,   bands   and 


34  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

spots  that  adorned  every  inch  of  the  ships.  Pink,  blue, 
purple,  green,  yellow,  orange,  black,  scarlet — an  explo- 
sion in  a  paint  factory  would  be  the  only  thing  approach- 
ing it.  One  destroyer  was  especially  remarkable  in  that 
it  had  a  color  scheme  in  which  a  vivid  pink  predomi- 
nated. It  had,  among  other  things,  not  only  a  pinlc  crow's 
nest,  looking  like  a  pink  celluloid  puft  box,  but  a  pink 
cannon.  As  somebody  said,  "Gosh,  I've  seen  a  lot  of 
things,  but  I  never  saw  a  pink  cannon  before." 

The  days  of  December  i6th  and  17th  will  always  stand 
out  vividly  in  the  memory  of  every  person  on  the  ship. 
The  storm  that  met  the  George  Washington  as  it  ap- 
proached the  Bay  of  Biscay  was  one  that  even  the  oldest 
sailor  in  the  convoy  will  never  forget.  Beginning  on  Sun- 
day, the  i6th,  with  a  heavy  gale  and  a  sinister  sky,  the 
storm  increased  steadily  in  violence  for  two  days.  As 
early  as  Sunday  afternoon  the  sea  was  rising  so  high  that 
even  those  on  the  upper  decks  were  drenched.  The  ship 
heaved  like  a  balloon,  and  the  fantastic  little  destroyers 
were  tossed  about  like  toys,  now  poised,  almost  vertically 
on  the  crest  of  a  mountain-high  wave,  then  dashed  down 
and  often  half  submerged  into  a  churning  valley  of  the 
sea.  Through  the  gathering  gloom  lights  kept  winking 
from  the  Huron  and  from  the  destroyers,  but  still  no 
lights  were  permitted  on  deck. 

There  was  little  sleep  for  any  one  that  night.  Above 
the  crash  of  the  storm  could  be  heard  the  crash  of  crock- 
ery, tin  trays,  furniture  and  persons  who  had  lost  their 
balance  and  fallen  in  the  dim  corridors  where  only  the 
faintest  of  blue  lights  showed.  Furniture  and  baggage 
skated  hither  and  yon  as  the  ship  rolled  and  plunged. 
Down  in  G-i  mess  kits  and  other  loose  equipment  of  the 
men  clattered  back  and  forth  across  the  floor  in  an  in- 
discriminate mass,  all  night  long. 


The  Voyage  35 

When  morning  broke  there  were  scenes  of  utter  chaos 
in  the  staterooms  and  in  the  quarters  of  the  enlisted  men. 
Outside  the  sea  presented  a  terrible  series  of  hills,  valleys 
and  mountain  ranges  of  water.  The  Huron  and  most  of 
the  destroyers  had  scattered  somewhere  in  the  smother  of 
the  waves.  As  for  the  George  Washington,  half  the  life 
boats  on  the  port  side  had  been  carried  away,  and  frag- 
ments of  others  dangled  from  the  davits.  Several  of  the 
lookout  stations  had  been  smashed  like  paper  boxes  and 
four  men  on  duty  at  these  posts  had  been  washed  over- 
board.* The  engineer  of  the  ship  said  that  this  gale,  run- 
ning eighty-five  miles  an  hour,  was  the  worst  he  had  ever 
encountered  in  all  his  fifty-three  trips  across. 

Before  long  the  order  came  to  clear  the  decks,  and  no 
one  was  allowed  above  for  the  balance  of  the  day  except 
those  whose  duties  absolutely  required  it.  Those  who 
tired  of  clinging  to  their  bunks  spent  the  time  devising 
new  ways  of  dodging  furniture  and  other  rapidly  moving 
bodies.  Down  in  the  men's  quarters  there  were  still  a 
hated  few  who  were  neither  too  sick  nor  too  scared  to 
joke.  It  was  too  rough  for  the  popular  pastime  of  rolling 
dice,  but  every  time  the  George  rolled  over  on  her  side 
these  men  gambled  on  whether  she  would  ever  come 
back  up  again.  When  meals  appeared  they  slid  ofif  the 
tables,  but  they  were  not  worth  bothering  much  about 
anyway,  as  the  cuisine  had  fallen  to  a  low  level.  It  must 
have  been  about  this  time  that  boiled  cabbage  made  its 
appearance  at  breakfast. 

The  next  day,  December  i8th,  was  very  cold,  but  the 
sea  had  gone  down  enough  to  permit  going  on  deck  again. 
The  Huron  reappeared,  five  of  the  destroyers  found  their 
way  back  to  the  convoy,  one  by  one,  and  a  wonderful  rain- 

*Some  reports  were  to  the  effect  that  six  men  were  lost,  but  this  was  not 
confirmed. 


36  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

bow  arched  itself  across  the  sky.  Every  one  wandered 
about  inspecting  the  havoc  wrought  by  the  storm,  and 
those  who  had  been  assigned  to  lifeboats  on  the  port  side 
gazed  gloomily  at  the  remnants  of  their  erstwhile  means 
of  escape  in  case  the  ship  were  torpedoed.  The  next  day 
passed  uneventfully  and  the  George  Washington  made 
good  time.  Along  toward  evening  the  convoy  split,  and 
the  Huron  steered  ofif,  presumably  for  St.  Nazaire,  while 
the  George  Washington  continued  on.  A  lighthouse  was 
sighted,  and  excitement  ran  high. 

December  20th  was  a  big  day  in  the  history  of  32. 
Those  who  were  on  deck  early  were  rewarded  with  some 
very  fine  displays  of  smoke  screens  from  the  destroyers 
to  the  starboard.  It  was  by  this  time  generally  known 
that  the  destination  was  Brest  and  the  boat  was  now  enter- 
ing the  very  worst  of  the  danger  zone,  that  which  lies  just 
outside  the  vigilantly  guarded  areas  of  the  harbor.  Pre- 
cautions against  submarines  were  doubled.  The  guns 
were  manned,  and  the  destroyers  skirted  nervously  around 
as  the  big  ship  zigzagged  on  her  course.  Suddenly,  some- 
where off  the  starboard  side,  a  dark  object  bobbed  into 
view.  It  was  all  the  work  of  a  moment.  The  ship's  siren 
screamed  its  blood-curdling  w^ail.  A  gun  boomed.  There 
was  a  tense  moment  of  waiting,  and  then  more  dark  ob- 
jects, dozens  of  them — a  school  of  porpoises  splashed  to- 
ward the  ship!  The  thrill  of  excitement  that  passed  over 
the  boat  turned  to  laughter,  but  respect  for  the  navy  in- 
creased. They  were  ready.  The  incident  bespoke  alert- 
ness with  a  capital  A. 

Finally  the  lighthouse  loomed  up  dimly,  apparently 
rising  directly  from  the  ocean  itself,  and  looking  in  the 
distance  no  larger  than  a  clothes-pin.  Far  away  shadowy 
land  began  to  appear.  A  big  Stars  and  Stripes  went  up  at 
the  stern  of  the  boat,  instead  of  the  smaller  flag. 

A  few  minutes  before  1 1  o'clock,  with  a  mighty  roar  of 


The  Voyage  37 

engines,  two  Italian  biplanes,  showing  red,  green  and 
white  on  the  under  sides  of  their  wings,  appeared  and 
circled  about  the  ship,  sometimes  so  low  that  the  pilot 
and  observer  were  clearly  visible.  From  this  time  on 
there  was  so  much  going  on  that  it  was  harder  to  watch 
than  a  three-ring  circus.  Queer  white  houses  appeared 
as  the  transport  slowly  made  her  way  along,  and  the  land 
slipped  by;  funny  little  boats  with  maroon-colored  sails 
drifted  into  view,  manned  by  sailors  wearing  wooden 
sabots.  Slowly  the  George  Washington  felt  her  way  into 
the  harbor  of  Brest,  and  came  to  anchor  a  mile  or  so  out 
from  land,  being  too  large  to  dock.  Boats  of  every  kind 
swarmed  about  her — boats  filled  with  sailors  from  the 
French  navy,  in  blue,  with  little  red  powder  pufTs  on 
their  caps;  English,  French  and  American  officers 
climbed  up  the  starboard  ladder;  two  vast  captive  bal- 
loons, like  huge  bloated  sausages,  floated  above,  towed 
now  this  way  and  now  that. 

Cigarettes  and  coins  were  tossed  overboard  to  the 
crowding  little  boats  below,  and  the  Americans  came  up 
against  the  French  language  for  the  first  time.  The  day 
itself  was  beautiful,  warm  and  sunny,  and  evening  came 
with  every  one  still  on  board,  and  the  sun  going  down 
behind  the  gray  hills  against  which  the  ancient  buildings 
of  Brest  stood  out. 

December  21st  found  the  aggregation  still  stationary  in 
the  harbor  and  the  lovely  weather  changed  to  a  dull  rain. 
All  day  long,  and  far  into  the  night,  the  winches  were  at 
work,  swinging  up  apparently  inexhaustible  stores  of  sup- 
plies from  the  hold  aft,  and  packages  that  looked  like 
Christmas  presents  from  the  forward  hold.  Into  the 
yawning  chasms  of  the  open  hatches  the  great  rope  slings 
swung,  to  emerge  filled  with  bundles,  bales,  sacks  and 
boxes  of  every  description,  while  the  winches  squeaked 
and  complained. 


38  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

In  the  harbor  was  a  submarine,  flying  the  French  flag, 
but  alleged  to  have  been  captured  from  the  Germans,  and 
once  one  of  the  captive  balloons  drifted  so  close  that  it 
was  easy  to  see  the  observers  scrambling  about.  Orders 
came  for  the  luggage  of  Base  32  to  be  ready  at  4  o'clock, 
and  it  was  gotten  ready,  but  did  not  go  ashore.  Many  of 
the  outfits  on  board  left,  and  there  were  general  good- 
byes. Lights  twinkled  ashore,  and  two  big  searchlights 
talked  to  one  another. 

Two  more  days  of  impatient  waiting  dragged  by.  One 
outfit  after  another  climbed  down  the  ladders,  entered 
launches,  and  were  borne  away,  but  Base  32  stayed  on.  A 
few  of  the  officers  managed  to  get  ashore,  to  reappear 
later  in  the  day  resplendent  in  Sam  Browne  belts.  A  flock 
of  quartermasters,  engineers  and  Ambulance  Company 
No.  15  departed  and  were  seen  no  more.  The  unloading 
of  cargo  went  on  endlessly,  night  and  day,  with  a  detach- 
ment of  French  sailors  helping  in  the  work.  December 
23rd  found  the  unit  impatient  and  discouraged.  There 
was  a  general  lack  of  animation,  made  more  pronounced 
by  an  outbreak  of  measles.  Those  who  were  not  ill  went 
to  church  on  E  deck.  The  word  had  been  passed  around, 
however,  that  the  hospital  was  surely  going  ashore  the 
following  day,  and  their  baggage  was  all  sent  out  that 
afternoon. 

December  24th  was  another  big  day  for  Base  32,  and 
they  flattered  themselves  that  it  was  also  a  big  day  for 
Brest,  though  possibly  Brest  didn't  realize  this.  Some- 
how the  crowd  was  gotten  aboard  the  lighter  Dinardaise, 
and  was  borne  bouncingly  away  across  the  water  of  the 
harbor — which  was  farther  across  than  it  looked — while 
from  the  rails  of  the  George  Washington  came  farewell 
shouts  from  those  who  still  remained  aboard,  an  espe- 
cially popular  form  of  good-bye  being  "Here's  hoping 
you  don't  get  any  business!"  which,  after  all,  was  fair 


The  Voyage  39 

enough.  Through  the  boats  crowding  about  the  docks 
behind  the  breakwater  the  lighter  made  her  way,  while, 
looking  back  at  the  George  Washington,  one  realized  for 
the  first  time  the  great  liner's  gigantic  size. 

And  so,  sometime  during  the  forenoon,  the  unit  set  foot 
— actually  set  foot — on  the  soil  of  France,  while  the  na- 
tives gathered  round  to  witness  the  arrival  of  this  latest 
group  of  les  Americains.  They  were  a  trifle  late,  but  at 
that  they  had  beaten  a  lot  of  the  quartermasters,  most  of 
the  aviators  and  all  the  stevedores  ashore. 

This  first  closeup  of  La  Belle  France  did  not  reveal 
her  as  so  very  belle,  after  all.  It  was  muddy  and  wet,  and 
the  natives,  who  grouped  at  the  end  of  the  street  leading 
from  the  dock,  looked  rather  shabby,  and  there  was  a 
great  prevalence  of  black  among  the  dresses  of  the 
women.  One  old  citizen,  in  a  long  flowing  cape,  made 
the  unit  a  sweeping  bow  as  the  column  advanced. 

The  im.mediate  destination  was  the  railroad  and  the 
advancing  hosts  of  the  medical  corps  climbed  hill  after 
hill  and  numerous  stairways  to  reach  it.  The  station  was 
found  to  be  crowded  with  a  variegated  assortment  of 
French  soldiers  in  horizon  blue,  Turcos,  British,  and  a 
few  Italian  soldiers,  doll-like  French  children,  old  peas- 
ant women  in  wonderful  caps  of  Breton  lace,  and  a  few 
other  civilians.  The  luggage  was  brought  to  the  station 
and  placed  under  guard.  Arrangements  for  entrainment 
and  travel  rations  occupied  a  few  of  the  officers,  and  the 
balance  of  the  unit  drifted  around  enjoying  the  strange- 
ness of  the  crowd. 

Some  strolled  ofif  to  the  wall  that  flanked  the  open  space 
across  from  the  station,  and  gazed  down  at  the  city  of 
Brest,  set  in  terraces  on  the  hills,  old  houses,  tall  and  thin, 
with  chimney  pots,  and  set  in  walled  gardens,  with  a  sur- 
prising amount  of  greenery  for  the  season,  and  narrow, 
twisting  streets. 


40  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Finally  when  it  became  known  that  the  train  would  not 
leave  before  evening,  permission  was  given  to  leave  the 
station,  and  most  of  the  unit  left  in  quest  of  food.  They 
got  it,  eventually,  sometimes  by  means  of  sign  language, 
or,  in  extreme  cases,  by  resorting  to  drawings.  The  sights 
of  Brest  were  taken  in  on  a  marching  tour  through  the 
city,  and  everywhere  the  procession  passed  traffic  halted. 
It  was  Christmas  Eve  and  the  hospital  unit  put  up  a 
strong  opposition  to  a  French  circus  that  was  vainly  en- 
deavoring to  draw  a  crowd. 

Rising  almost  out  of  the  harbor  was  an  ancient  cha- 
teau, and  many  of  the  new  arrivals  took  advantage  of  the 
few  loose  hours  before  the  train  was  due  to  start  to  investi- 
gate this  structure,  which  dated  back  an  inconceivably 
long  way — part  of  one  tower,  we  were  assured,  having 
been  built  by  Julius  Caesar.  Included  in  the  architectural 
curiosities  of  the  chateau  were  battlements,  moats  and 
dungeon  keeps,  and  one  pleasing  arrangement  where  a 
victim  was  dropped  through  a  hole  in  the  floor  to  land, 
several  stories  below,  on  a  collection  of  spikes.  From  the 
battlements  one  could  get  a  wonderful  view  of  the 
crowded  harbor,  and  many  of  the  visitors  took  their  last 
look  at  the  George  Washington,  majestically  at  rest  in 
the  bay. 

Back  to  the  chemin  de  fer,  where  on  a  siding  waited  a 
curious  special  train  composed  of  an  engine  built  along 
the  general  lines  of  a  tea-kettle,  but  with  a  peculiarly 
shrill  and  defiant  whistle,  and  an  endless  string  of  cars 
like  dry  goods  boxes — but,  at  that,  a  dream  of  luxury 
compared  with  the  "Hommes  40,  Chevaux  8"  cars  that 
the  less  fortunate  outfits  traveled  in. 

The  roll  was  called  again  and  again.  Travel  rations 
were  distributed  to  each  compartment.  A  grand  scramble 
ensued  while  the  unit  got  aboard.  The  enlisted  men  in 
the  third-class  cars,  seven  or  eight  to  a  compartment,  and 


The  Voyage  41 

the  officers  and  nurses  in  the  elegantly  upholstered  coops 
of  the  premiere  class  into  which  six  persons  and  their 
luggage  could  be  jammed. 

At  five  o'clock  everything  was  ready.  The  engine  gave 
its  loudest  and  most  defiant  toot,  and  the  unit  was  off. 
Their  destination  was  unknown.  They  had  no  idea 
whether  they  would  reach  the  end  of  their  journey  in  a 
few  hours  or  a  few  days.  As  it  happened,  they  were  on 
the  road  one  day  and  the  better  part  of  two  nights,  and  by 
that  time  they  had  discovered  things  about  French  travel 
that  made  the  most  moth-eaten  American  day  coach  look, 
in  retrospect,  like  the  private  car  of  a  railroad  magnate. 

The  train  scuttled  across  France,  pausing  now  and  then 
at  stations  with  romantic  French  names,  where  there  were 
always  troop  trains  loaded  with  French  soldiers  sitting  in 
the  cars,  under  the  cars,  and  on  the  cars.  At  every  station 
the  Americans  hung  out  of  the  windows,  and  whooped 
the  glad  news  of  their  arrival  to  the  French.  Supper  was 
a  gladsome  meal,  including  such  delicacies  as  "tinned 
willie,"  jam,  beans  and  bread.  These  edibles  were  piled 
indiscriminately  on  the  floor,  or  in  the  already  overloaded 
baggage  racks  above.  There  was  apparently  but  one  can 
opener  to  the  crowd  and  plaintive  wails  of  ''ou  est  le  can 
opener?"  rent  the  air  as  that  priceless  implement  made 
its  way  up  and  down  the  train.  Finally  night  fell,  and 
the  crusaders  went  to  sleep  as  best  they  could  with  their 
feet  in  the  groceries. 

As  for  Christmas  day.  Bishop  Francis,  whose  duties 
included  that  of  mail  censor,  later  made  the  lament  that 
in  June  the  members  of  the  unit  were  still  eating  their 
Christmas  dinner  on  the  train,  but  it  was  an  unusual  sort 
of  Christmas,  let  any  one  deny  it  who  dares,  and  the  letter 
writers  were  to  be  excused.  Christmas  day  then  dawned 
about  seven  o'clock  with  the  train  scuttling  across  sunny 
France  in  a  snowstorm.    All  on  board  had  been  up  for 


42  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

hours,  for  getting  up  was  a  simple  operation  consisting 
principally  of  disentangling  one's  self  from  the  canned 
goods.  Breakfast  was  served  from  cans,  after  more  fren- 
zied paging  of  the  can  opener,  and  by  some  miracle  hot 
cofifee  was  obtained  somewhere  along  the  route.  French 
oranges,  small  and  sour,  added  the  one  festive  note  to 
Christmas  dinner. 

All  would  agree  that  they  spent  several  years  on  board 
that  train  that  merry  Christmas  day.  All  concerned  had 
reached  such  a  state  of  dishevelment  that  they  resembled 
Coxey's  army,  and  rumors  were  to  the  efifect  that  high 
wassail  was  being  held  in  the  awful  coaches  occupied  by 
the  enlisted  men,  who  were  endeavoring  to  forget  their 
misery  in  vin  rouge.  Late  in  the  afternoon  the  train 
passed  through  Troyes,  a  large  French  town,  where  it 
made  the  most  protracted  stop  of  the  trip,  and  some  time 
at  night  it  went  through  Chaumont,  General  Pershing's 
headquarters. 

About  three  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  December  26th 
the  train  stopped  at  an  unimposing  little  station,  and  its 
sleepy  and  unsightly  occupants  were  routed  from  their 
luxurious  slumbers.  It  was  not  until  then  that  the  desti- 
nation became  generally  known.  The  first  little  group 
off  the  train  plodded  through  the  snow,  up  to  the  station, 
and  straining  their  eyes  finally  made  out  the  letters  of  the 
station  sign,  "C-O-N-T-R-E-X-E-V-I-L-L-E."  No  one 
knew  where  Contrexeville  was.  No  one  cared.  Joyfully 
all  concerned  would  have  detrained  directly  back  of  the 
German  lines  to  have  escaped  from  the  train.  The  snow 
was  two  feet  deep,  and  it  was  cold  with  the  piercing 
dampness  that  only  France  seems  able  to  achieve. 

Darkness  often  shrouds  a  town  with  an  element  of  mys- 
tery to  an  arriving  stranger.  Contrexeville  seemed  queer 
that  first  night.  The  impression,  as  the  unit  marched 
wearily  through  the  streets,  was  one  of  surprise.    The 


The  Voyage  43 

handsome  buildings,  the  dark  evergreens  against  the  snow 
in  the  park,  the  stately  columns  of  the  coUonade  and  the 
broad  streets  all  struck  notes  of  incongruity.  Obviously 
a  small  town,  but  how  unlike  the  ordinary  French  village! 
Weary  as  the  newcomers  were,  they  could  not  help  but 
wonder  what  manner  of  place  they  were  in. 

French  civilians  guided  the  unit  to  their  quarters,  the 
officers  to  the  Hotel  Souveraine,  the  nurses  to  the  Hotel 
Continental,  and  the  enlisted  men  to  their  less  imposing 
quarters,  later  designated  as  the  "Glass  House"  and  the 
"Old  Theatre."  Cots  had  been  prepared,  and  a  steaming 
hot  drink,  alleged  to  be  coffee,  was  welcomed  for  its 
warmth.  The  quarters  were  cold  and  damp,  but  a  feeling 
of  relief  was  general.  The  end  of  the  journey  was  reached. 
It  was  no  longer  necessary  to  sleep  in  layers  as  it  had  been 
on  the  train  and  one  might,  with  the  help  of  Providence, 
get  a  bath  sometime  in  the  future. 


IV 

CONTREXEVILLE 

CONTREXEVILLE  is  located  in  the  Department 
of  Vosges,  about  370  kilometers  east  and  a  little 
south  of  Paris,  on  the  railway  that  connects  Nancy  and 
Langres.  It  lies  at  an  altitude  of  1,100  feet,  in  a  narrow 
sheltered  basin,  completely  surrounded  by  the  foothills 
of  the  Vosges  Mountains.  Neufchateau,  the  only  neigh- 
boring town  of  any  importance,  is  about  twenty  nine  kilo- 
meters to  the  north. 

Celebrated  for  more  than  a  century  because  of  the 
medicinal  and  therapeutic  qualities  of  its  numerous 
springs,  Contrexeville  has  for  years  been  a  popular  water- 
ing place.  As  early  as  1760  a  certain  Dr.  Bagard,  physi- 
cian to  King  Stanislas  of  Lorraine,  discovered  the  un- 
usual properties  of  the  Source  de  Pavilion  and  brought 
them  into  public  notice.  Subsequently  chemical  analysis 
of  its  waters  revealed  a  variety  and  combination  of  min- 
erals that  drew  the  attention  of  the  medical  profession  of 
all  parts  of  France.  The  reputation  of  Contrexeville  as  a 
watering  place  was  established.  Courses  of  treatment 
were  recommended  and  prescribed,  and  the  waters  of 
the  Source  de  Pavilion  were  bottled  and  shipped  exten- 
sively. During  the  years  just  prior  to  the  war  Contrexe- 
ville counted  many  people  of  fame  and  nobility  among 
its  summer  guests. 

Contrexeville,  because  of  its  climate,  is  essentially  a 
summer  resort,  and  its  population,  largely  transient,  is  of 
a  class  that  demands  attractive  lodgings  and  modern  con- 
veniences. Because  of  this,  Contrexeville  dififeres  greatly 
from  the  majority  of  small  French  towns.  Among  other 
things  it  boasts  of  concrete  sidewalks,  an  electric  light 

44 


CONTREXEVILLE  45 

plant,  and  a  general  sewerage  system.  Three  beautiful 
parks,  several  tennis  courts,  bowling  greens,  and  the  Ca- 
sino offer  recreation  and  diversion.  The  River  Vair,  a 
small  stream  that  runs  through  the  town  submerged  under 
a  concrete  promenade,  furnishes  the  water  supply  for  the 
bathhouse  of  the  Societe  des  Eaux.  This  building,  known 
popularly  as  the  Colonnade,  is  located  in  the  most  central 
of  the  three  parks,  and  is  probably  the  handsomest  struc- 
ture in  Contrexeville.  With  its  red  tile  roof  and  its  long 
line  of  stately  blue  and  cream  columns,  it  resembles  some 
magnificent  exposition  building  more  than  anything  else. 
The  bathhouse  proper,  which  occupies  a  circular  struc- 
ture opening  off  the  center  of  the  Colonnade,  is  equipped 
with  dozens  of  the  most  modern  blue  and  white  tiled 
bathrooms,  spacious  dressing  rooms,  showers,  and  a  num- 
ber of  other  rooms  for  X-ray  and  special  medical  treat- 
ment. The  inner  side  of  the  Colonnade  furnishes  space  for 
a  long  row  of  small  shops,  while  toward  the  center,  jut- 
ting out  from  the  open  side,  a  magnificent  dome  houses 
the  Source  de  Pavilion.  Across  from  the  Colonnade,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  park,  are  the  Hotel  de  I'Establiss- 
ment,  an  ancient  and  rather  dilapidated  structure,  and 
the  Casino,  a  beautiful  and  thoroughly  modern  building 
enclosing  a  charming  theater,  gaming  rooms,  and  hand- 
some salons.  Outside  the  park,  scattered  through  the  en- 
tire town,  are  a  number  of  large  hotels  and  dozens  of 
villas  and  smaller  hostelries.  Of  these  the  Cosmopolitain- 
Palace  is  the  largest  and  most  important,  an  imposing 
five-story  building  set  on  the  hill  beyond  the  park,  and 
commanding  a  view  of  the  country  for  miles  around. 

After  the  war  began  it  was  soon  apparent  that  Con- 
trexeville possessed  peculiar  advantages  as  a  site  for  a 
military  hospital.  Located  on  an  important  railway  in 
the  advance  section  of  operations,  approximately  fifty 
miles  behind  the  lines,  its  selection  as  a  location  for  a  base 


46  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

hospital  was  a  natural  one.  A  number  of  the  larger  build- 
ings were  admirably  adapted  for  hospital  purposes,  and 
long  before  the  advent  of  America  in  the  war  these  had 
been  requisitioned  by  the  French  Government  and  turned 
over  to  the  French  Service  de  Sante  and  used  as  hospitals. 
Following  the  arrival  of  the  earlier  American  troops, 
these  buildings,  together  with  others  similarly  requisi- 
tioned, were  sublet  to  the  United  States  Army,  and  were 
evacuated-  by  the  French  late  in  1917.  The  buildings 
which  were  to  be  used  as  hospitals  were:  Cosmopolitain- 
Palace,  Hotel  Royal,  Hotel  de  la  Providence,  Hotel  de 
la  Providence  Annex,  Hotel  de  Paris,  Hotel  Continental, 
La  Souveraine,  Hotel  de  I'Etablissment,  Hotel  Harmand, 
Hotel  Martin  Felix,  Hotel  Thiery,  Hotel  Martin  Aine, 
and  the  Casino. 

Of  these  the  Cosmopolitain-Palace,  together  with  the 
Hotel  de  Paris,  Hotel  Royal  and  Hotel  de  la  Providence 
and  Annex,  were  grouped  in  close  proximity  in  the  upper 
part  of  town,  and  were  divided  from  the  others  by  the 
park  of  the  Etablissement  des  Eaux.  These  buildings 
were  assigned  to  Base  Hospital  32.  The  second  group  of 
approximately  the  same  bed  capacity,  was  located  within 
and  below  the  park,  and  was  reserved  for  Base  Hospital 
31,  a  unit  organized  in  Youngstown,  Ohio,  under  com- 
mand of  Major  A.  E.  Schlanser,  which  was  scheduled  to 
arrive  in  Contrexeville  about  January  ist. 

In  addition  to  the  five  hospital  buildings  assigned  to  32 
the  following  buildings  were  leased  for  other  purposes: 
Hotel  Moderne  Annex  for  headquarters  officers,  Cosmo- 
politain-Palace Garage  for  garage.  Hotel  de  Paris  Annex 
for  officers'  quarters,  the  Jean  Cretaux  Garage  for  a  ware- 
house, and  a  glass-enclosed  sun  porch  built  against  one 
side  of  the  Hotel  Moderne,  together  with  an  old  theater 
on  the  hill  back  of  it,  for  enlisted  men's  quarters.  Other 
enlisted  men,  principally  non-commissioned  officers,  were 


CONTREXEVILLE  47 

quartered  on  the  third  .floor  of  the  Moderne  Annex,  and 
the  second  story  of  the  Cosmopolitain  Garage.  For  the 
first  few  weeks  in  Contrexeville  the  nurses  were  quartered 
in  the  Cosmopolitain,  but  later,  when  that  building  was 
being  rapidly  prepared  for  hospital  purposes,  the  Hotel 
Moderne  was  leased,  and  served  as  nurses'  quarters  for 
both  Base  Hospitals  31  and  32.  Shortly  after  the  arrival 
of  Base  Hospital  31  the  Paris  Annex  was  turned  over  to 
their  officers,  and  the  officers  of  Base  Hospital  32  moved 
into  the  Villa  Plaisance  and  the  adjoining  Villa  Sala- 
bury. 

Preparations  for  the  reception  of  Base  Hospital  32  on 
the  night  of  December  25th-26th  had  been  made  by  Ma- 
jor East  of  Base  Hospital  36,  of  Detroit.  This  unit,  to- 
gether with  Base  Hospital  23,  of  Bufifalo,  was  already 
stationed  at  Vittel,  a  similar,  but  somewhat  larger  summer 
resort  town  about  five  kilometers  north  of  Contrexeville. 
Temporary  quarters  had  been  arranged  for  and  equipped 
with  iron  cots  and  blankets  taken  over  from  the  French. 

The  first  few  days  at  Contrexeville  were  spent  in  ar- 
ranging more  comfortable  personnel  quarters  and  provid- 
ing for  the  mess.  Offices  were  established  temporarily  in 
the  Hotel  Continental,  and  the  Continental  kitchens  and 
dining  rooms  were  used  until  some  time  after  the  arrival 
of  Base  Hospital  31.  French  rations  were  provided  pend- 
ing arrangements  with  the  American  Quartermaster 
Corps. 

A  general  plan  for  the  hospital  organization,  to  con- 
form with  the  buildings  provided,  was  developed  by  Ma- 
jors Clark  and  Beery,  but  the  actual  work  of  cleaning  and 
preparing  these  buildings  for  occupancy  was  delayed  by 
the  non-arrival  of  equipment,  and  also  by  the  fact  that 
some  of  the  buildings  were  not  yet  completely  evacuated 
by  the  French.  The  bed  capacity,  which  had  hitherto 
always  been  figured  as  500,  was  increased  by  the  chief 


48  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

surgeon's  office  to  1,250,  and  notice  was  given  that  the 
equipment  for  the  additional  750  beds  would  follow  the 
shipment  of  the  original  500.  In  the  meantime  leases  and 
etat  de  lieux  were  signed,  and  the  peculiar  intricacies  of 
the  French  system  of  renting  were  explained.  In  almost 
all  of  the  buildings  certain  rooms  had  been  reserved  and 
sealed  by  the  owners  for  the  storage  of  furniture,  and  in 
the  case  of  the  Cosmopolitain  an  additional  lease  had  to 
be  effected  to  cover  the  use  of  the  miniature  elevator 
which  occasionally  could  be  got  to  run.  The  cellars  of 
the  Cosmopolitain,  with  the  exception  of  the  kitchens, 
were  also  reserved  and  sealed,  and  were  rumored  to  con- 
tain fabulous  quantities  of  champagne  and  ancient  wines. 

A  survey  of  the  five  hospital  buildings  showed  that 
they  were  all  wired  for  electricity  and  possessed  inde- 
pendent water  supplies.  Most  of  the  buildings  were 
equipped  with  bathrooms,  and  the  plumbing  facilities,  as 
compared  with  most  French  hotels,  were  generally  good. 
All  of  the  buildings  had  septic  tanks  draining  into  tile 
pipes  in  the  bed  of  the  River  Vair. 

It  was  expected  that  the  work  of  the  hospital  would  be 
to  a  large  degree  surgical,  and  the  Cosmopolitain,  on  ac- 
count of  its  size,  and  because  its  spacious,  well-lighted 
salons  were  admirably  adapted  for  surgeries,  was  selected 
as  the  main  surgical  hospital.  The  Cosmopolitain  was  a 
six-story  structure  faced  with  stucco  and  trimmed  with 
sandstone.  Owing  to  the  slope  on  which  the  hotel  was 
constructed,  the  first  floor  opening  on  to  a  spacious  lobby, 
became  the  basement  farther  back,  and  housed  the  kitchen 
and  a  small  central  heating  plant.  This  heating  plant, 
although  probably  sufficient  for  the  summer  season  dur- 
ing which  the  hotel  operated,  was  entirely  inadequate  for 
winter  weather,  and  was  supplemented  by  small  heating 
stoves.  On  the  second  floor  were  the  salons  and  dining 
rooms,  which  were  to  be  converted  into  surgeries,  dress- 


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COXTREXEVILLE  49 

ing  rooms  and  the  larger  wards.  The  rooms  ofif  the  cor- 
ridors leading  to  the  rear  of  the  building  on  this  floor 
were  assigned  to  the  various  specialists  on  the  staff,  and 
the  dental  rooms  and  pharmacy  were  also  located  here. 
The  third,  fourth,  fifth  and  sixth  floors  were  almost  iden- 
tical in  plan,  each  containing  approximately  tAventy-five 
bedrooms  of  varying  size,  the  majority  of  them  with  con- 
necting doors,  and  a  few  with  baths.  The  capacity  of  the 
Cosmopolitain  for  hospital  purposes  was  estimated  at  500 
beds,  and  it  was  decided  to  use  practically  all  of  the  orig- 
inal Red  Cross  equipment  to  furnish  this  building,  and 
to  depend  upon  the  medical  supply  depots  for  additional 
equipment  for  the  others. 

The  remaining  four  buildings,  the  Paris,  Providence, 
Providence  Annex  and  the  Royal,  were  located  about  r^vo 
blocks  down  the  hill  from  the  Cosmopolitain,  and  were 
grouped  in  close  proximity  on,  and  near,  the  corners  of 
two  intersecting  streets.  Of  these  buildings  the  Provi- 
dence was  the  largest,  with  an  estimated  bed  capacity  of 
225.  Ancient,  and  in  poor  repair,  this  building  was  a 
four-story  V-shaped  structure  with  a  long  wing  extending 
at  right  angles  on  either  side  of  the  entrance.  Diagonally 
across  the  street  from  the  Providence,  on  the  opposite 
corner,  was  the  four-story  Hotel  de  Paris,  with  a  bed 
capacity  of  200,  and  back  of,  and  adjoining  it,  was  a  some- 
what smaller  three-story  building,  the  Providence  Annex, 
accommodating  about  125  beds.  The  Hotel  Royal,  a 
modern  structure  which  was  completed  just  before  the 
war,  was  located  directly  opposite  the  Providence  Annex. 
The  Royal  was  a  four-story  building,  faced  with  stucco, 
each  floor  containing  fourteen  or  fifteen  very  good  rooms, 
some  with  baths.  It  had  never  been  used  by  the  French, 
and  was  in  excellent  condition.  Back  of  the  Royal,  and 
included  in  its  lease,  was  a  small  building  accommodat- 
ing some  ten  or  twelve  beds  which  it  v/as  planned  to  use 


50  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

as  an  isolation  ward  for  contagious  cases.  The  normal 
bed  capacity  of  the  Royal  was  placed  at  200. 

The  first  steps  in  organization  were  the  official  designa- 
tion of  the  different  hospital  buildings  by  letters  and  their 
division  and  assignment  to  the  surgical  and  medical  sec- 
tions. The  Cosmopolitain,  Hospital  A,  which  was  to  be 
the  principal  surgical  building,  was  to  be  supplemented 
by  the  Paris,  Hospital  B,  an  auxiliary  surgical  hospital 
which  was  designed  to  take  care  of  the  overflow  from  A 
and  to  handle  convalescent  and  minor  surgical  cases.  The 
medical  section,  with  its  headquarters  offices  in  the  Royal, 
was  to  comprise  Hospitals  C,  D  and  E,  the  Providence 
Annex,  Royal  and  Providence,  respectively.  The  phar- 
macy supplying  the  medical  section  was  to  be  located  on 
the  first  floor  of  the  Providence,  together  with  the  medi- 
cal laboratory  and  an  auxiliary  X-ray  outfit.  A  room  on 
the  ground  floor  of  the  Cosmopolitain  was  to  serve  as  a 
hospital  supply  room  for  all  of  the  buildings.  From  here 
pharmaceutical  supplies  would  be  issued  to  the  two  phar- 
macies, and  all  other  supplies  issued  direct  to  the  individ- 
ual buildings  on  requisition. 

Practically  all  of  the  original  equipment  had  preceded 
the  unit  to  France,  and,  with  the  exception  of  the  truck 
and  the  three  ambulances,  had  been  forwarded  to  the 
Medical  Supply  Depot  at  Is-sur-Tille,  where  it  was 
stored  pending  the  arrival  of  the  hospital  at  Contrexe- 
ville.  The  truck  and  ambulances  had  been  unloaded  at 
St.  Nazaire,  where  they  were  to  be  claimed  and  driven 
overland  to  their  destination.  A  detail  in  charge  of  Ser- 
geant George  Swaim  was  assigned  to  this  task,  and  the 
trip,  which  was  a  thrilling  one,  through  a  strange  country 
over  ice-covered  mountain  roads,  took  the  better  part  of 
a  week.  Much  of  the  driving  was  done  at  night  without 
lights,  and  the  roads  were  often  obliterated  by  their  deep 
covering  of  snow. 


CONTREXEVILLE  5 1 

The  early  days  of  January  were  days  of  busy  prepara- 
tion. By  this  time  the  first  few  cars  of  original  equipment 
had  begun  to  arrive,  and  night  and  day  shifts,  under  the 
direction  of  Lieutenant  Funkhouser,  were  organized  to 
expedite  the  unloading.  Details  and  trucks  from  Base 
Hospital  31  assisted  in  this  work.  The  headquarters  of- 
fices, which  had  been  temporarily  established  in  the  Hotel 
Continental,  moved  into  their  permanent  location  on  the 
second  floor  of  the  Moderne  Annex,  and  the  enlisted 
men's  mess,  which  had  been  served  jointly  by  Base  Hos- 
pitals 31  and  32  in  the  Continental  dining  room,  sepa- 
rated and  operated  independently.  Messes  for  32's  men 
were  established  at  the  Cosmopolitain  and  Providence, 
and  for  the  officers'  and  nurses  in  their  respective  quarters. 

It  was  evident  that  the  first  task  that  faced  the  unit  was 
to  clean  up  the  buildings  and  fit  them  for  occupancy. 
Many  of  the  hotels,  especially  those  that  had  been  occu- 
pied by  the  French,  were  turned  over  to  the  unit  in  an 
extremely  unsanitary  condition.  There  was  a  natural  ac- 
cumulation of  refuse,  floors  were  to  be  scrubbed,  windows 
and  woodwork  washed— in  fact  a  general  housecleaning 
was  necessary  before  furniture  and  equipment  could  be 
moved  in.  In  addition  to  this  there  was  a  considerable 
amount  of  plumbing,  electrical  and  carpenter  work  essen- 
tial to  fit  the  buildings  for  hospitals.  The  surgeries,  labo- 
ratories and  X-ray  rooms  required  special  lighting,  and 
wiring  for  electrical  apparatus.  Sterilizing  equipment 
was  to  be  installed,  and  additional  sinks  and  drains  were 
required  in  some  of  the  kitchens.  Partitions  had  to  be 
built  and  benches  and  tables  constructed.  The  hospital 
was  extremely  fortunate  in  having  among  the  enlisted 
personnel  men  who  were  ably  qualified  to  accomplish  this 
important  work.  Notable  among  these  were  McElwayne, 
Stuvel  and  Holloran  in  the  plumbing;  Gaither,  Sertell 
and  Iverson,  carpentering;  Drake  and  Cook,  general  elec- 


52  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

trical  work,  and  Magee,  whose  installation  of  the  X-ray 
equipment  elicited  praise  from  many  X-ray  technicians 
in  both  the  American  and  French  armies.  The  material 
required  for  all  these  important  improvements  was  pur- 
chased under  the  direction  of  Lieutenant  Bushey  on  motor 
trips  to  Nancy,  Epinal  and  Neufchateau. 

The  frequent  transfers  and  changes  in  personnel  which 
were  destined  to  mark  the  history  of  the  unit  during  their 
entire  period  of  service  had  already  begun.  On  December 
29,  19 17,  the  following  nurses,  together  with  a  small  de- 
tail of  enlisted  men,  w^ere  transferred  to  Base  Hospital  15 
on  detached  service  for  several  wrecks'  temporary  duty: 
Olga  N.  Anderson,  Martha  R.  Berger,  Nellie  M.  Birch, 
Bertha  E.  Boyles,  Nellie  B.  Davis,  Maud  F.  Essig,  Susan 
Genolin,  Mary  B.  Houser,  Mary  Kennedy,  Mary  F. 
Kochman,  Mary  Mangan,  Margaret  McCoppin,  Mary 
Ruth  McBee,  Estelle  F.  Miller,  Edna  Mowrer,  Mary  E. 
Mullen,  Mayme  O'Connell,  Florine  Ostenzi,  Elsie  Pea- 
cock, Lena  L.  Payne,  Evelyn  Potter,  Amy  A.  Prosser, 
Nellie  Rock,  Eleanor  C.  Ryan,  Ida  A.  Scholer,  Golda  F. 
Smith,  Ruth  G.  Totten,  Alys  Weitendorf  and  Ruth 
Wright.  Early  in  January  Father  Emmanuel  Bouter  w^as 
assigned  to  the  unit  as  official  interpreter,  and  Benjamin 
Cotharin,  Albert  Daugherty,  Theodore  Plumb,  Whitney 
Porter,  Charles  Stough,  Charles  Selch  and  Albert  Bartle, 
of  the  enlisted  personnel,  all  of  whom  had  been  removed 
from  the  boat  with  measles  upon  its  arrival  and  trans- 
ferred to  the  U.  S.  Naval  Hospital  at  Brest,  were  returned 
to  active  duty  with  the  organization. 

It  was  about  this  time,  too,  that  the  unit  learned  the  sad 
news  of  the  death  of  May  Berry,  one  of  32's  nurses,  who 
was  taken  seriously  ill  on  the  voyage  over,  and  who  died 
of  pneumonia,  December  30,  1917,  at  the  United  States 
Naval  Base  Hospital  No.  i  at  Brest.  Miss  Berry  is  said 
to  have  been  the  first  American  nurse  to  die  on  foreign 
soil  during  the  war. 


ENTRANCE  TO  THE  (.l.ASS   lloLSE 


CONTREXEVILLE  53 

By  the  middle  of  January  all  of  the  hospital  buildings 
with  the  exception  of  the  Royal,  which  was  still  in  the 
process  of  leasing,  had  been  cleaned,  washed  and 
scrubbed  and  the  work  of  furnishing  and  equipping  was 
well  under  way.  Cars  were  unloaded  and  the  contents 
hauled  to  the  medical  supply  warehouse,  where  the  crates 
and  cases  were  unpacked  and  the  contents  distributed  to 
the  various  buildings.  Part  of  the  equipment  containing 
the  additional  750  beds,  together  with  their  complement 
of  mattresses,  pillows,  sheets  and  blankets,  had  arrived 
and  was  being  installed  in  Hospitals  B,  C  and  E. 

These  beds  were  a  narrow,  low  French  type,  with  metal 
slat  springs,  and  compared  unfavorably  with  the  white 
enamel  hospital  beds  of  the  original  equipment,  which 
were  being  set  up  in  Hospital  A.  It  might  be  mentioned 
here  that  Hospital  A,  with  its  original  Red  Cross  equip- 
ment for  ^00  beds,  became,  when  it  was  ready  for  service 
a  few  weeks  later,  one  of  the  best  and  most  perfectly 
equipped  surgical  hospitals  in  the  A.  E.  F. 

The  first  official  inspection  of  Base  Hospital  32  was 
made  on  January  17,  1918,  when  Colonels  Stark  and 
Reno  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Fife  of  the  chief  surgeon's 
office  arrived  in  Contrexeville  to  inspect  the  progress  the 
hospital  was  making  in  equipping  and  preparing  the 
buildings  for  service.  It  was  rumored  at  this  time  that 
the  hospital  might  be  pressed  into  service  at  an  early  date, 
and  the  rush  of  preparations  was  stimulated  to  an  even 
greater  degree.  In  order  to  take  care  of  any  emergency 
the  staflf  was  organized  tentatively  as  follows: 

Major  H.  R.  Beery,  Commanding  Officer. 
Major  E.  D.  Clark,  Director. 
Major  C.  B.  McCulloch,  Adjutant. 
Captain  Charles  D.  Humes,  Registrar. 
Lieutenant  F.  P.  Bushey,  Quartermaster. 


54  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Surgical  Service. 
Major  E.  D.  Clark,  Chief. 

Hospital  A — 

Major  C.  B.  McCulloch,  Officer  in  Charge. 
Captain  Lafayette  Page,  ear,  nose  and  throat. 
Captain  H.  F.  Byrnes,  opthalmologist. 
Captain  Eugene  B.  Mumford,  orthopedist. 
Lieutenant  R.  C.  Beeler,  roentgenologist. 
Lieutenant  J.  W.  Scherer,  dentist. 
Lieutenant  J.  V.  Sparks,  dentist. 

Hospital  B— 

Captain  Alois  B.  Graham,  Officer  in  Charge. 

Medical  Service, 

Major  Bernays  Kennedy,  Chief. 

Hospital  C— 

Lieutenant  Joseph  W.  Ricketts,  Officer  in  Charge. 

Hospital  D— 

Lieutenant  Robert  M.  Moore,  Officer  in  Charge. 

Hospital  E — 

Lieutenant  Leslie  H.  Maxwell,  Officer  in  Charge. 

The  nursing  personnel  was  also  organized  and  tenta- 
tive assignments  made  to  the  different  sections. 

The  weather,  which  had  hitherto  been  extremely  cold 
and  disagreeable,  turned  suddenly  warm.  The  snow  dis- 
appeared, revealing  hillsides  surprisingly  green,  and  for 
three  weeks  the  hospital  enjoyed  a  welcome  succession  of 
warm,  sunny  days.  With  all  the  rush  of  preparations  and 
organization  work,  sufficient  leisure  time  was  found  for 
occasional  long  walks  into  the  surrounding  country  and 
exploration  trips  into  quaint  little  neighboring  towns. 
Early  in  January  some  one  discovered  the  Ferme  des 
Eveques — a  charming  little  villa,  nestling  among  the 
wood-covered  hills  a  short  distance  out  from  town.  Here 
a  nine-hole  golf  course  had  once  attracted  throngs  of 


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CONTREXEVILLE  55 

visitors  from  Contrexeville.  The  golf  course  now  had 
been  abandoned  to  the  sheep,  but  the  villa  itself,  with  its 
excellent  cuisine  and  well-stocked  cellars,  had  lost  none 
of  its  charm,  and  became  a  popular  objective  for  after- 
noon walks  and  Sunday  supper  parties.  Vittel,  similar  to 
Contrexeville  in  many  respects,  and  larger,  also  attracted 
many  visitors.  Outrancourt,  Suriauville,  ^Ligneville, 
Bulgneville  and  Dombrot — all  quaint  little  villages,  typi- 
cally French — afforded  a  variety  of  interesting  walks. 

On  January  24th  the  unit  received  its  first  large  mail 
from  the  states,  and  on  January  28th  the  first  social  event 
to  break  the  strenuous  rush  of  preparation  occurred  at 
Vittel  when  the  officers  of  Base  Hospital  23  gave  a  dance 
to  which  the  officers  of  the  other  three  hospitals  of  the 
center  were  invited. 

By  the  first  of  February,  although  the  work  of  furnish- 
ing and  equipping  the  buildings  was  far  from  complete. 
Base  Hospital  32  was  nevertheless  in  a  condition  for 
emergency  service  if  the  necessity  arose.  The  unit  at  this 
time  was  deprived  of  the  leadership  of  Major  Beery, 
whose  health  failed  under  the  strain  of  all  this  early 
work,  and  who  was  transferred  to  Hospital  A,  where  it 
was  hoped  a  complete  rest  might  restore  him  to  active 
duty.  Subsequently  Major  Beery  was  relieved  from  duty 
with  Base  Hospital  32  and  sent  to  Base  Hospital  No.  8, 
and  from  here  he  was  transferred  to  the  United  States  on 
March  i.  During  Major  Beery's  illness  and  after  his 
transfer  Major  Clark  acted  as  commanding  officer,  and 
it  was  under  his  leadership  that  the  buildings  were  pre- 
pared and  the  unit  organized  for  active  duty. 

The  month  of  February  was  devoted  to  the  final  details 
of  preparation.  Additional  supplies  were  requisitioned 
and  received  from  the  medical  supply  depots  and  from 
the  Red  Cross  warehouse  at  Neufchateau.  Authority  was 
granted  to  take  over  any  necessary  items  of  equipment 


56  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

from  the  French  Service  de  Sante,  and  numerous  articles 
of  hospital  furniture,  surgical  and  pharmaceutical  sup- 
plies were  acquired  in  this  manner.  Under  the  direction 
of  Sergeant  Callis  the  hospital  kitchens  were  equipped 
and  organized.  Negotiations  were  started  by  Lieutenant 
Bushey  for  the  leasing  of  the  power  plant,  which  had 
heretofore  been  under  municipal  control.  Telephones 
were  installed  by  the  United  States  Signal  Corps  and  ar- 
rangements were  made  with  the  mayor  of  Contrexeville 
for  the  use  of  two  small  fire  pumps  of  doubtful  efficiency, 
a  hundred  feet  or  so  of  hose,  and  the  few  ladders  which 
comprised  the  town's  fire  equipment. 

Meanwhile  other  events  of  importance  were  transpir- 
ing. The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  the  American  Red  Cross— two 
organizations  that  were  destined  to  play  an  important 
part  in  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  the  hospital  and  its 
patients — made  their  advent  in  Contrexeville.  The  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  "hut,"  which  was  located  in  the  "Salle  Chaude"  in 
the  center  of  the  Colonnade,  opened  on  February  8th  with 
a  house-warming  party  and  a  band  concert.  Besides  the 
canteen,  which  offered  a  variety  of  cigarettes,  candy  and 
odds  and  ends,  the  hut  was  equipped  with  writing  tables, 
pool  and  billiard  tables  and  a  piano.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
activities  in  Contrexeville  were  in  charge  of  Mr.  Percy 
McFeely.  Additional  attractions  and  entertainments  were 
added  from  time  to  time,  and  the  "Y  hut"  became  a  popu- 
lar loafing  place  during  leisure  hours. 

The  first  representative  of  the  American  Red  Cross  to 
arrive  at  Contrexeville  was  Captain  Laurence  E.  Hitch- 
cock of  Cleveland,  Ohio.  The  work  of  the  Red  Cross 
forms  too  important  a  part  of  the  history  of  Base  Hospital 
32  to  be  discussed  here,  and  a  separate  chapter,  later  in 
the  book,  is  devoted  to  the  vast  scope  and  diversity  of  its 
activities.    Suffice  it  to  say,  for  the  present,  that  the  Red 


CONTREXEVILLE  57 

Cross  work  in  Contrexeville  reached  almost  20,000  Amer- 
ican soldiers — and  reached  them  in  a  dozen  different 
ways.  Nothing  that  could  possibly  promote  the  comfort 
or  welfare  of  the  patients  or  personnel  was  left  undone. 
To  Captain  Hitchcock  belongs  the  credit  for  laying  the 
foundation  for  this  great  work  and  for  outlining  many  of 
the  important  plans  which  were  so  ably  executed  by  Cap- 
tain William  H.  Thompson,  who  succeeded  him  in  April. 

The  end  of  February  found  the  hospital  ready  for  serv- 
ice. In  the  two  months  that  elapsed  since  the  hospital's 
arrival  an  almost  incredible  amount  of  work  had  been 
done.  Dirty,  unsanitary  hotels  had  been  transformed  into 
clean,  shining  hospitals.  More  than  fifty  carloads  of  sup- 
plies and  equipment  had  been  unloaded  and  installed. 
One  thousand  beds  were  standing,  made  up  ready  to  re- 
ceive patients.  Kitchens,  laboratories,  pharmacies,  sur- 
geries, dressing  rooms  and  the  X-ray  and  special  depart- 
ments were  equipped,  organized  and  ready  for  service. 
Contrexeville  itself  had  changed  in  appearance.  Streets 
had  been  cleaned,  truckloads  of  accumulated  refuse 
around  the  various  buildings  had  been  hauled  away  and 
the  grounds  had  been  thoroughly  policed. 

In  the  world  outside  Contrexeville  big  things  were 
happening.  American  troops  were  pouring  into  France 
in  increasing  numbers.  Rumors  of  the  impending  spring 
offensive  multiplied  daily.  On  both  sides  of  the  lines 
divisions  were  shifted  nervously  from  one  place  to  an- 
other, and  on  every  sector  raids  and  minor  actions  fore- 
told the  mightier  operations  that  were  soon  to  follow. 


V 

Hospital  Unit  R 

IT  HAS  been  previously  noted  that  the  capacity  of  Base 
Hospital  32  had  been  increased,  shortly  after  their  ar- 
rival at  Contrexeville,  from  500  to  1,250  beds.  To  take 
care  of  this  expansion,  additional  equipment  had  been 
received  and  installed,  but  there  had  been  no  increase  in 
the  personnel. 

Early  in  March  information  was  received  from  the 
chief  surgeon's  office  indicating  that  additional  personnel 
— officers,  nurses  and  enlisted  men — would  be  assigned  to 
the  hospital  at  an  early  date,  and  on  March  13th  this 
information  was  confirmed  by  the  arrival  of  Hospital 
Unit  R. 

Hospital  Unit  R,  a  southeastern  Iowa  organization 
which  upon  its  arrival  in  France  for  active  duty  became 
a  part  of  Base  Hospital  No.  32,  traces  its  "ancestry"  back 
to  the  day  the  United  States  declared  war  upon  Germany. 

In  Fairfield,  Iowa,  a  busy  little  city  of  7,500  persons, 
lived  Dr.  J.  Fred  Clarke.  He  had  served  in  the  Spanish- 
American  War  during  the  entire  period  of  hostilities  and 
while  the  occupation  of  Cuba  was  in  progress.  In  the 
days  of  '98  he  had  been  associated  with  Colonel  Jefi'erson 
R.  Kean,  who  on  April  6,  1917,  was  in  charge  of  military 
hospitalization  work  for  the  government.  The  declara- 
tion of  war  was  adopted  by  the  congress  of  the  United 
States  in  time  for  all  the  evening  papers  of  the  country  to 
carry  the  story  on  that  day. 

That  night  a  telegram,  signed  by  J.  Fred  Clarke  went 
from  Fairfield  to  Colonel  Kean  at  Washington.  It  said, 
"What  can  I  do  to  help  our  cause?"  The  next  day  the 
answer  came,  giving  the  fragmentary  outline  upon  which 

58 


.       1=5 


Hospital  Unit  R  59 

hospital  units  were  to  be  formed  all  over  the  country  as  a 
part  of  the  great  plan  the  medical  department  of  the  army 
stood  ready  to  work  out  and  put  into  operation.  Dr. 
Clarke  wasted  no  time.  Within  a  few  days  he  had  con- 
sulted other  doctors  in  his  community,  had  talked  the 
matter  over  with  a  few  of  the  nurses  he  knew  stood  ready 
to  "do  their  bit"  and  more,  and  had  checked  over  a  tenta- 
tive list  of  enlisted  men.  Hospital  Unit  R  was  under  way. 

In  every  county  seat  in  that  section  of  Iowa  new  Red 
Cross  chapters  were  springing  up  like  the  proverbial 
mushrooms  over  night  and  inactive  organizations  were 
instantly  alive  to  the  situation.  They  rallied,  at  once,  to 
Dr.  Clarke's  organization  and  set  about  assisting  it.  Let- 
ters of  inquiry  began  pouring  into  his  office  at  Fairfield, 
asking  what  could  be  done  to  help  him.  In  a  little  while, 
out  of  the  chaotic  confusion  of  the  first  few  weeks,  the 
plans  began  to  take  some  sort  of  tangible  form. 

The  unit,  recruited  for  service  with  the  United  States 
forces  at  home  or  abroad,  was  to  consist  of  twelve  doctors, 
commissioned  officers  in  the  medical  corps  of  the  army, 
twenty-one  nurses  and  fifty  enlisted  men.  It  was  under 
the  direction  of  the  American  Red  Cross  in  the  beginning, 
and  remained  so  for  several  months.  First  enrollments 
were  under  Red  Cross  regulations. 

While  smaller  in  population  than  many  of  the  other 
towns  and  cities  of  the  ten  or  a  dozen  southeastern  Iowa 
counties  which  fell  into  line  behind  the  unit,  Fairfield 
remained  its  home  and  its  center.  Here  all  the  adminis- 
trative work  was  handled  by  Dr.  Clarke.  Far  into  the 
night  the  director  of  the  unit  pored  over  his  records, 
studied  his  applications,  sifted  and  sorted,  adjusted  and 
checked,  always  in  an  effort  to  get  the  best. 

Red  Cross  chapters  in  all  the  towns  in  that  section  of 
the  state  went  to  work  with  a  zest  making  supplies  for  the 
unit.   Their  women  worked  day  and  night,  rolling  miles 


6o  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

and  miles  of  bandages,  cutting,  stitching  and  packing 
hundreds  of  dozens  of  pairs  of  pajamas,  bed  socks,  towels, 
caps,  gowns,  masks  and  other  hospital  equipment.  Money 
poured  into  the  treasuries  and  generous  checks  were  sent, 
with  a  "do  your  best  for  our  boys  with  it,"  to  Fairfield. 

The  purchase  of  equipment  began,  and  as  the  summer 
wore  on  additional  warehouse  room  had  to  be  secured  in 
Fairfield  to  hold  the  generous  contributions  of  these  people 
of  southeastern  Iowa.  An  X-ray  machine  came  from  Bur- 
lington, a  truck  from  Mt.  Pleasant,  Ottumwa  sent  $10,000 
in  cash  and  box  after  box  of  supplies.  Centerville,  Oska- 
loosa,  Keokuk,  Washington,  Bloomfield,  all  the  centers  of 
population  in  that  section  of  the  state  were  represented  in 
the  vast  array  of  equipment  with  which  the  unit  was  fur- 
nished during  the  summer  and  early  autumn.  With  the 
cash  contributions  which  continued  to  pour  into  the  Fair- 
field headquarters  during  this  period,  surgical  instru- 
ments, operating  tables,  beds,  cots,  kitchen  supplies, 
blankets  and  the  thousand  and  one  other  things  which  go 
to  equip  a  hospital  were  purchased.  Dr.  Clarke  super- 
vised all  this  work.  F.  C.  Morgan  of  Centerville,  Iowa, 
was  the  purchasing  agent  for  the  unit,  and  Frank  Rick- 
sher,  Fairfield  banker,  was  the  organization's  bursar. 

"But,  when  do  we  go?"  began  to  be  the  cry  around  that 
part  of  the  country. 

Dr.  Clarke,  who  was  now  Major  Clarke  of  the  Medical 
Reserve  Corps,  had  chosen  his  fifty  enlisted  men,  and  they 
had  been  sworn  into  service  as  members  of  the  Enlisted 
Medical  Reserve  Corps  on  August  8th,  9th  and  loth. 
Miss  Amy  Beers,  superintendent  of  the  JefTerson  County 
Hospital  at  Fairfield,  which  served  as  the  parent  organi- 
zation for  the  unit,  and  who  had  been  chosen  as  chief 
nurse,  was  a  member  of  the  Army  Nurse  Corps,  and  was 
getting  her  personnel  lined  up.  Some  of  the  women  had 
already  been  called  into  active  service  in  southern  canton- 


THE  (;AKA(;E  CANC.   AXD  their   MENACEkll- 


Hospital  Unit  R  6i 

ments  of  the  United  States.  Major  Clarke  had  chosen  his 
twelve  officers  and  they  had  all  received  their  commis- 
sions. There  were  six  captains  and  five  lieutenants.  The 
organization  had  been  officially  designated  by  the  War 
Department  as  Hospital  Unit  R,  and  was  one  of  the  two 
such  units  Iowa  maintained  during  the  war,  the  other 
being  Hospital  Unit  K  from  Council  Bluffs,  with 
Colonel  Donald  MacCray  in  command. 

Then  followed  a  long  period  of  waiting  and  restless- 
ness and  rumor.  Every  week  carried  a  new  story  or  a 
fresh  version  of  an  old  one.  The  men  began  to  seek  trans- 
fers into  other  groups  which  seemed  to  have  a  better 
chance  to  "get  across."  About  December  ist  came  word 
that  the  unit  probably  would  not  be  called  out  before 
spring.  Everybody  settled  down  for  a  "long,  hard  winter." 

Then,  like  the  much-prated  bolt  out  of  a  clear  sky, 
came  the  orders  for  Hospital  Unit  R  to  proceed  to  Fort 
McPherson,  Georgia,  for  training  and  equipment  pre- 
paratory for  embarkation  overseas. 

That  was  on  December  11,1917.  By  noon  the  next  day 
the  men  were  on  duty  at  the  Fairfield  lov/a  National 
Guard  armory,  where  they  were  quartered  until  Decem- 
ber 15th.  On  that  night  at  9  o'clock  the  enlisted  men  and 
the  officers  left  for  Georgia,  arriving  three  days  later. 
The  nurses  were  not  called  into  service  until  the  follow- 
ing month. 

At  Fort  McPherson,  on  the  outskirts  of  Atlanta,  the 
Iowa  boys  found  themselves  to  be  a  part  of  many  such 
groups  from  all  over  the  country.  They  were  quartered 
in  the  same  barracks  and  had  a  joint  mess  hall  with  Hos- 
pital Unit  B,  from  Yonkers,  N.  Y.  Across  the  street  was 
Unit  G,  from  Syracuse,  and  Unit  H,  from  Fordham, 
New  York  City.  Close  by  were  Unit  I,  from  Anderson, 
Ind.;  Unit  C,  from  Charlotte,  N.  C. ;  Unit  W,  from 
Springfield,  111.;  Unit  S,  from  Spokane,  Wash.,  and  Base 


62  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Hospital  No.  26,  from  the  famous  Mayo  establishment  at 
Rochester,  Minn.,  and  so  on  they  went  up  and  down  every 
street  in  that  section  of  the  reserve. 

Long,  cloudless  days  were  spent  on  the  McPherson 
drill  fields  and  parade  grounds.  Still  longer  nights  were 
spent  in  the  rickety  wooden  barracks  trying  to  keep  warm 
under  a  couple  of  cotton  blankets,  while  the  wind  whis- 
tled through  the  pine  trees. 

The  boys  thought  they  knew  Dame  Rumor  pretty  well 
before  they  left  Iowa,  but  they  soon  found  out  that  they 
had  only  a  mere  passing  acquaintance  with  the  lady. 
They  never  knew  her  until  they  reached  Georgia.  Six 
times,  from  January  ist  until  February  4th,  they  were 
leaving.  Once  they  had  the  equipment  loaded  on  the 
train,  and  twice  it  was  on  the  trucks  on  the  way  to  the 
station.  On  February  4th,  at  noon,  the  unit  did  pull  out 
for  Camp  Merritt,  New  Jersey. 

A  few  changes  in  the  personnel  took  place  at  Fort 
McPherson.  Captain  John  R.  Walker,  of  Fort  Madison, 
Iowa,  who  was  the  unit's  adjutant,  was  disqualified  for 
overseas  service.  He  later  became  camp  surgeon  at  Camp 
Pike,  Arkansas.  His  place  was  taken  on  the  unit  roster 
by  his  brother.  Captain  Ben  S.  Walker  of  Corydon,  Iowa, 
who  was  in  training  at  Fort  Riley,  Kan.,  when  called  to 
Atlanta.  Henry  F.  McCullough  of  Chariton,  Iowa,  an 
enlisted  man,  had  applied  for  a  transfer  to  the  air  service 
before  the  unit  was  called  into  active  service  and  received 
his  orders  to  proceed  to  Rantoul,  111.,  soon  after  the  or- 
ganization reached  Georgia.  His  place  was  taken  by 
Joseph  A.  Dufify,  who  came  to  Atlanta  from  Kansas  City. 

While  the  officers  and  enlisted  men  were  preparing  to 
leave  Fort  McPherson,  the  nurses  had  been  called  from 
their  homes  in  various  parts  of  Iowa  and  from  the  south- 
ern camps  where  they  were  in  service  to  Governor's 
Island,    New    York.     There    they    were    trained    and 


Hospital  Unit  R  63 

equipped  and  joined  the  remainder  of  the  unit  in  New 
York. 

Arriving  at  Camp  Merritt  on  the  morning  of  February 
7th,  the  stay  there  was  devoted  to  the  final  stages  of  equip- 
ment for  overseas  service  and  short  drills  and  hikes. 

On  the  morning  of  Saturday,  February  16,  1918,  the 
officers  and  men  marched  out  of  Camp  Merritt,  through 
a  heavy  snow,  at  3  :30  a.  m.,  and  boarded  a  train  at  Tena- 
fly,  N.  J.,  for  New  York.  On  the  Cunard  docks  in  that 
city  they  were  joined  by  the  nurses,  and  all  went  aboard 
H.  M.  S.  Carmania.  At  4  o'clock  that  afternoon,  in  a 
hard,  driving  rain,  the  big  gray  liner  stole  out  to  Ambrose 
Channel  Lightship,  where  she  lay  until  midnight,  then 
turned  her  nose  north,  and  Hospital  Unit  R  was  ofif  on 
the  great  adventure. 

The  next  morning,  Sunday,  with  a  brilliant  blue  sky 
and  a  reflecting  ocean  like  a  mill  pond,  they  were  heading 
up  the  east  coast  of  the  United  States  for  Halifax.  Arriv- 
ing there  the  next  day,  the  ship  anchored  a  mile  out  in  the 
inner  basin.  Although  it  was  twelve  to  fifteen  degrees 
below  zero  all  the  time,  the  lowans  used  to  stand  for  many 
minutes  on  deck  at  night  to  see  the  beautiful  harbor, 
bathed  in  a  full  moon's  light  and  touched  by  the  glow  of 
the  ever-marvelous  northern  rays. 

On  Thursday,  February  21st,  early  in  the  morning, 
unusual  activity  was  noticed.  Before  noon,  two,  four,  six 
and  then  seven  boats,  some  battleship  gray  like  the  Car- 
mania,  others  zebra-coated  in  their  many  colors  of  camou- 
flage, poked  their  bows  around  the  blufif  and  slid  in  along- 
side the  Carmania.  The  stage  seemed  set.  Everybody 
w^as  on  his  toes.  But  there  seemed  to  be  a  feeling  of  wait- 
ing; for  the  chief  actor,  perhaps.  Then  he  appeared — a 
sleek,  swift,  sure-looking  cruiser  with  the  silky  folds  of 
Old  Glory  flapping  in  the  sunlight  from  the  stern.  Three 
in  a  row-,  and  three  across,  the  ships  took  their  places. 


64  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

With  the  Stars  and  Stripes  as  their  guide,  the  convoy 
moved.  Just  as  the  hills  of  Halifax  were  taking  their  last 
dip  in  the  winter  afternoon's  dusk  glow  the  troop-laden 
ships  passed  the  outpost  clilTs  and  went  out  to  sea. 

Then  followed  fifteen  days  of  smooth  seas  and  seas  that 
were  not  so  smooth.  Lifeboat  drills  became  as  common 
as  marmalade  and  tea  for  breakfast.  Standing  at  attention 
for  sixty-five  minutes  because  "somebody"  forgot  you 
were  there  meant  nothing  at  all  in  the  lives  of  these  young 
lowans  "sailing  the  ocean  blue"  in  the  face  of  sleet  and 
snow  and  wind  and  possibly  submarines. 

Old  Lady  Rumor  worked  overtime  on  her  job  all  the 
way  over,  but  finally,  with  nothing  more  exciting  than  a 
cable  breaking  loose  on  the  last  night  in  the  danger  zone 
and  making  every  one  certain  that  the  boat  had  been  hit 
by  a  torpedo,  the  good  ship  Carmania  tied  up  at  the  Liv- 
erpool docks  at  2  a.  m.,  on  March  4th.  Disembarkation 
began  at  9  o'clock  and  was  finished  in  time  for  Captain 
Herrick  and  the  nurses  to  get  away  to  France,  with  only 
a  glimpse  of  England,  and  the  remainder  of  the  officers 
and  the  men  to  pile  on  to  the  funny  little  English  toy  cars 
and  take  a  seven-hour  jog  to  Southampton  town. 

It  rained  all  the  way  down  from  Liverpool.  With  only 
a  brief  stop  at  Sheffield  for  cofifee  the  outfit  arrived  at 
Southampton  at  i  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Right  along- 
side the  tracks  lay  a  big  boat.  Everybody  said,  "We  are 
going  right  across  to  France  to-night." 

But  they  were  all  wrong.  There  was  a  Canadian  officer, 
who  had  evidently  slept  all  day  in  preparation  for  the 
event,  standing  right  there  to  guide  these  "travelers"  to 
their  next  stop.  Right  up  through  the  business  section  of 
Southampton  the  trainload  of  troops  was  marched  at  a 
cadence  which  is  estimated  to  be  anything  from  100  to 
c;oo.  Out  into  the  residence  district,  past  parks  and  lanes 
and  drives,  they  stumbled  over  the  cobblestones  without 


k 


RUE  SALAl'.ERV,  LOOKING  NORTH 


WAITING  FOR  THE  MESS  CALL 


Hospital  Unit  R  65 

a  single  stop  to  rest.  The  crowd  began  to  decide  they  were 
marching  back  to  Liverpool,  because  somebody  had  for- 
gotten his  umbrella,  or  his  ice  cream  bucket,  or  some 
similar  army  necessity.  Finally,  after  a  few  hours  and  a 
few  more  miles,  the  column  halted  at  the  Southampton 
Commons  at  4  a.  m. 

Eight  in  a  tent,  plenty  of  blankets  on  the  floor,  but  the 
sweetest  words  in  a  long  time  when  the  Tommy  bellowed, 
"Now,  you'se  don't  need  to  get  hup  huntil  ten  in  the 
mawnun."  And  then,  with  the  day,  it  was  like  stepping 
into  another  world.  Leaving  Camp  Merritt  wading 
through  a  heavy  snow,  facing  sleet  and  wind  and  sub- 
zero weather  all  the  way  across  the  ocean  and  then  this — 
perfect  spring  skies,  daffodils  nodding  their  yellow  bon- 
nets all  along  the  roadsides,  primroses  in  the  window 
boxes  of  the  little,  hedged-in,  brick  homes,  holly  bushes 
with  their  sparkling  berries  everywhere,  lakes,  winding 
paths.   It  was  a  real  rest  camp. 

Five  days  were  spent  there,  and  then  on  Saturday, 
March  9th,  at  noon,  the  unit  marched  down  to  the  docks. 
The  boat  was  ready  this  time,  and  at  4  o'clock  that  after- 
noon the  trip  across  the  channel  began.  At  dusk  every- 
body was  ordered  below  and  down  they  piled.  Rank  was 
lost  in  the  shuffle.  Bucks  sat  on  majors'  necks,  and  ser- 
geants paid  colonels  no  mind  at  all.  No  one  could  move 
more  than  three  inches  to  either  side,  up  or  down.  With 
this  conglomerate  mess  of  men  and  baggage  hiding  some- 
where down  in  the  inside,  the  ship  stopped  in  the  middle 
of  the  channel  to  fix  a  broken  steam  pipe.  The  convoying 
destroyer  had  to  scamper  back  to  see  another  boat  over, 
so  the  disabled  sister  was  left  alone,  riding  at  anchor, 
with  a  full  moon  pointing  her  out  to  any  marauder  who 
might  have  been  swinging  his  periscope  that  way.  Luck 
was  with  the  crowd,  though,  and  after  a  while  the  pipe 
was  mended  and  the  old  boat  hobbled  along  on  its  way. 


66  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

The  dawn  of  Sunday,  March  loth,  brought  the  lowans 
their  first  glimpse  of  France — the  harbor  of  Le  Havre. 

The  unit  reached  a  rest  camp,  nestled  in  the  rock  piles 
of  outer  Havre,  about  10  a.  m.,  where  preparations  were 
made  to  stay  for  several  days.  At  2  o'clock,  the  next  morn- 
ing, however,  it  was  "Everybody  out,"  and  at  4  o'clock 
the  crowd  was  back  down  in  Havre  climbing  aboard  a 
French  passenger  train,  made  up  of  "iii's,"  which  never 
had  any  intention  of  starting  before  9  o'clock  that  morn- 
ing, and  which  did  not  finally  make  up  its  mind  to  go  until 
noon.  It  was  a  beautiful  ride  down  through  northwestern 
France  that  early  spring  afternoon.  The  valley  of  the 
Marne  was  reached  before  dark.  The  day  closed  with  a 
wonderful  sunset  gilding  the  white  crosses  scattered  over 
the  fields. 

That  night,  near  the  hour  of  twelve,  some  German 
planes  were  flying  back  to  their  lines  from  Paris,  where 
they  had  brought  terror  and  destruction  and  death.  To 
the  north,  near  the  suburb  of  Nieully,  one  keen-eyed  Hun 
spied  a  train  standing  at  the  entrance  switch  to  the  station 
yards.  He  gauged  his  distance,  and  threw  his  bomb.  His 
companions  did  the  same.  They  missed  the  train,  but  300 
yards  ahead  they  smashed  the  station,  killed  several  per- 
sons, and  injured  many  others.  The  tracks  were  torn  and 
twisted.  Less  than  200  yards  to  the  rear  of  the  train  a 
great  hole,  fifty  feet  across  and  twenty  feet  deep,  was  torn 
in  the  earth.  Windows  were  broken  in  the  train,  and  sides 
of  the  cars  splintered.  On  that  train  rode  Hospital  Unit  R 
and  Units  G,  H  and  B. 

With  that  baptism  of  fire  the  occupants  of  the  coaches 
were  ready  for  almost  anything,  but  the  tracks  were  re- 
paired and  the  train  moved  on  early  in  the  morning. 

Another  day  and  night  across  the  checkered  fields  of 
France  rapidly  putting  on  their  spring  dress,  and  then  a 
turn  north  toward  the  cedar-covered  hills  of  the  Vosges. 


Hospital  Unit  R  67 

At  noon  on  Wednesday,  March  13,  1918,  the  officers 
and  men  of  Hospital  Unit  R  piled  ofif  the  train  at  Con- 
trexeville.  They  were  met  by  the  nurses,  who  had  arrived 
several  days  previous.  That  afternoon  the  commanding 
officer  reported,  turning  his  organization  over  to  Base 
Hospital  No.  32,  and  from  that  time  on  the  lowans  were 
affiliated  with  the  Indiana  unit. 

The  personnel  of  Hospital  Unit  R,  when  it  reported 
for  service  with  Base  Hospital  No.  32  at  Contrexeville, 
France,  on  March  13,  191 8,  was  as  follows: 

Officers. 

Major  James  F.  Clarke  (commanding) ..  .Fairfield,  Iowa 

Captain  John  F.  Herrick Ottumwa,  Iowa 

Captain  Henry  A.  Gray Keokuk,  Iowa 

Captain  Frank  M.  Fuller Keokuk,  Iowa 

Captain  Roy  A.  McGuire Brighton,  Iowa 

Captain  Lora  D.  James Fairfield,  Iowa 

Captain  Ben  S.  Walker Corydon,  Iowa 

First  Lieutenant  Kenneth  L.   Johnston.  .Oskaloosa,  Iowa 
First  Lieutenant  Edward  J.   Wehman . .  Burlington,  Iowa 

First  Lieutenant  Ira  N.  Crowe Marengo,  Iowa 

First  Lieutenant  Frank  R.  Mehler...New  London,  Iowa 
First  Lieutenant  Robert  S.  Reimers. .  .Ft.  Madison,  Iowa 

Nurses. 

Amy  Beers   (chief  nurse) Fairfield,  Iowa 

Esther  Albright Danville,  Iowa 

Madge    Baldwin Ottumwa,  Iowa 

Philomena  Bauer Ottumwa,  Iowa 

Grace  Shirley  Bell Mt.  Sterling,  Iowa 

Dora  Blank Keokuk,  Iowa 

Elizabeth   Connelly Gilmore   City,  Iowa 

Nelle  Davies Ottumwa,  Iowa 

Mary  L.  Elder Ottumwa,  Iowa 

Olive  K.   Graber Burlington,  Iowa 

Sarah  Greenhalgh Des  Moines,  Iowa 

Mabel  Lusk Ottumwa,  Iowa 


68  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Margaret  Henke Keokuk,  Iowa 

Ethel   Lessenger Council   Bluffs,  Iowa 

Agnes  Swift Washington,  Iowa 

Elsie  Thompson Burlington,  Iowa 

Eva  Van  Dyke Ottumwa,  Iowa 

Grace  Van  Evera Route  1,  Davenport,  Iowa 

Bessie  Whitaker Grinnell,  Iowa 

Olive  Whitlock Route  1,  Valparaiso,  Ind. 

Merle   Wright Wright,  Iowa 

Enlisted  Men. 

Sergeant  William  J.  McGiffin Fairfield,  Iowa 

Sergeant  John   G.   Barwise Fairfield,  Iowa 

Corporal  Clarence  S.  Johnston Ottumwa,  Iowa 

Corporal  John  E.  Lukens Chariton,  Iowa 

Roy   P.    Anderson Ottumwa,  Iowa 

Wells  B.  Andrews Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa 

Robert  C.  Anstead Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Irwin  W.  Atwood Fairfield,  Iowa 

Sylvester  W.  Barnett Centerville,  Iowa 

Lowe  F.  Berger Winfield,  Iowa 

Paul   J.    Bishop Glasgow,  Iowa 

Archibald  M.   Cantrall Fairfield,  Iowa 

Merle  C.  Caris Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa 

Orion   O.   Coppock Fairfield,  Iowa 

Vincent  E.  Diemer Des  Moines,  Iowa 

Claude  E.  Downard Fairfield,  Iowa 

Joseph  A.  Duffy Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

Cornelius  M.  Edwards Fairfield,  Iowa 

Paul   O.    Ferrell Libertyville,  Iowa 

Harvey    E.    Gaumer Fairfield,  Iowa 

Warner  A.  Glotfelty Libertyville,  Iowa 

Clifford  C.  Haumerson Ft.  Atkinson,  Wis. 

Creigh  C.  Heminger Donnelson,  Iowa 

William  L.  Hobbs Ft.  Madison,  Iowa 

Edmund  V.  Hunt Fairfield,  Iowa 

Brace  E.  Hutton Batavia,  Iowa 

Paul  B.  Jericho Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa 

William  A.  Johnson Birmingham,  Iowa 


mwi^Minfln 


;U()UP  AT  THE  (iLASS   HOUSE 


Hospital  Unit  R  69 

Charles  S.  Lamson Fairfield,  Iowa 

Milton  F.  Larimore Russell,  Iowa 

John  C.  Larmore Hedrick,  Iowa 

Ellwood  Lindbom Fairfield,  Iowa 

Clarence  M.  McCarty Ottumwa,  Iowa 

Bruce  A.  Mellis Ottumwa,  Iowa 

Fred  N.  Newkirk Ft.  Madison,  Iowa 

Joe  C.   Norris Birmingham,  Iowa 

Sherman  H.  Oatman Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa 

Ralph  C.  Parrott Fairfield,  Iowa 

Earl    D.    Power Fairfield,  Iowa 

Warren  K.  Rogers Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa 

Curtis  G.   Schillerstrom Fairfield,  Iowa 

Calvin  L.  Scovel Fairfield,  Iowa 

Harold  C.  Self Monona,  Iowa 

Berl  C.  Shearer Winfield,  Iowa 

Paul  G.  Spainhour Spartansburg,  N.  C. 

Roy  L.  Walgren Sundance,  Wyo. 

Stanley   S.   Watts Birmingham,  Iowa 

Afton  J.   Wesley Wapello,  Iowa 

Dan   L.   Winter Middletown,  Iowa 

Guy  A.   Woellhaf Fairfield,  Iowa 


VI 
Spring,  191 8 

EARLY  in  March,  prior  to  the  arrival  of  Unit  R, 
Major  H.  H.  Van  Kirk,  M.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  was  as- 
signed to  Base  Hospital  32  as  commanding  officer,  and 
on  March  6,  1918,  arrived  in  Contrexeville  and  assumed 
command.  Major  Van  Kirk  was  a  regular  army  officer  of 
the  old  school  and  a  rigid  disciplinarian.  Three  days 
after  his  arrival  he  held  a  memorable  inspection  of  the 
unit,  followed  by  drill  in  the  Esplanade  and  a  long  hike 
with  field  equipment.  From  that  time  on  the  entire  outfit 
was  on  edge.  Inspections  and  drill  became  the  order  of 
the  day.  Both  officers  and  enlisted  men  met  up  with  a 
type  of  military  discipline  the  existence  of  which  they  had 
heretofore  only  suspected. 

With  the  arrival  of  the  Unit  R  officers,  the  matter  of 
seniority  necessitated  a  number  of  changes  in  the  stafif, 
particularly  in  the  medical  section,  where  junior  officers 
were  in  charge  of  hospital  buildings.  Major  Herrick  re- 
lieved Lieutenant  Ricketts  as  officer  in  charge  of  Hos- 
pital C,  and  Captain  Fuller  succeeded  Lieutenant  Max- 
well as  officer  in  charge  of  Hospital  E. 

By  this  time  Lieutenant  Edwards,  who  had  been  unable 
to  sail  with  the  unit  on  account  of  illness,  had  rejoined  it 
at  Contrexeville.  Captain  Humes,  however,  had  been 
transferred  to  Base  Hospital  No.  8  for  temporary  duty, 
and  Lieutenant  Beeler  was  absent  on  detached  service  at 
Chaumont.  On  March  nth  Lieutenant  Bushey  was  re- 
lieved from  duty  as  quartermaster  by  Lieutenant  George 
Schutte.  Lieutenant  Maxwell  was  appointed  receiving 
officer,  and  Lieutenant  Moore  was  succeeded  as  detach- 
ment commander  by  Captain  McGuire. 

70 


Spring,  191 8  71 

As  a  result  of  promotions  and  the  appointment  of  addi- 
tional non-commissioned  officers,  there  had  been  a  num- 
ber of  changes  of  status  in  the  enlisted  personnel.  The 
roster  at  this  time  shows  the  following  non-commissioned 
officers,  cooks  and  first-class  privates:  Hospital  sergeant, 
Pfranklin;  sergeants,  first  class,  Asperger,  Callis,  Hitz, 
Jennings,  Reel,  Rich,  Sheller  and  Swaim;  sergeants,  Ash- 
worth,  Barwise,  Beck,  Brewer,  Carroll,  Duncan,  Fish- 
back,  HoUenbeck,  Judd,  Magee,  MacDougal,  McEl- 
waine,  McGiffin,  McHugh,  Robinson,  Westfall  and 
Dudley  White;  corporals.  Duck,  C.  Johnston,  Lukens, 
O'Hern,  Reeves  and  George  White;  cooks,  Ashe,  Ham- 
ilton, Hicks,  W.  A.  Johnson,  Loechle,  Miller,  Norris, 
Plough,  Satters  and  Wagner;  privates,  first  class,  Brad- 
ley, Drake,  Fletcher,  Gaither,  Hagaman,  Heffner,  Hol- 
lingsworth,  R.  K.  Johnson,  Judkins,  McArdle,  Matthews, 
Quinn,  Reitenour,  Riggs,  Sanagan,  Sellmeyer,  Snyder, 
Stuart  and  Stuvel. 

Up  until  this  time  a  few  patients  from  the  personnel 
and  an  occasional  allied  patient  had  been  admitted  to  the 
hospital,  but  no  convoys  of  any  size,  either  by  train  or 
ambulance,  had  been  received.  On  March  19th  a  train- 
load  of  patients  for  the  Vittel  Center  passed  through 
Contrexeville,  and  on  March  22nd  a  telegram  to  the  com- 
manding officer  of  Base  Hospital  32  brought  the  informa- 
tion that  a  train  was  en  route  for  Contrexeville  which 
was  due  to  arrive  the  following  day.  On  Saturday,  March 
23rd,  at  5:00  p.  m.,  American  Hospital  Train  52  arrived. 
It  carried  336  American  patients,  of  which  all  but  twenty- 
six  officers  were  received  by  Base  Hospital  32.  The  of- 
ficers, in  accordance  with  previous  arrangements,  were 
turned  over  to  Base  Hospital  31. 

The  first  death  among  the  patients  of  Base  Hospital  32 
occurred  the  following  morning,  Sunday,  March  24th, 
w^hen  Francis  G.  Wells,  of  Ohio,  died.   The  funeral  was 


72  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

held  in  the  afternoon.  A  brief  service  was  read  by  Bishop 
Francis,  and  full  military  honors  were  accorded.  At  four 
o'clock  the  flag-draped  coffin  was  lowered  into  the  first 
grave  in  the  little  American  cemetery  that  adjoined  the 
old  French  graveyard  on  the  hill  back  of  Contrexeville. 

With  the  arrival  of  the  first  hospital  train  there  ensued 
a  period  of  strenuous  activity.  Convoys  of  patients  both 
by  train  and  by  ambulance  were  frequent.  On  March 
26th  seventy-five  additional  patients  arrived,  mostly  gas 
cases,  many  of  whom  were  in  a  critical  condition.  These 
patients  were  also  Americans,  but  many  of  the  subsequent 
convoys  were  composed  largely  of  French  and  British 
troops — particularly  the  former.  Indeed  the  number  of 
French  patients  received  by  Base  Hospital  32  during  the 
spring  and  summer  of  1918  reached  such  proportions  that 
the  French  Service  de  Sante  assigned  two  officers  and  a 
corps  of  clerical  assistants  to  co-operate  with  the  hospital 
staff  in  this  work.  Major  Charles  Fink,  whose  charming 
personality  won  him  many  friends  among  the  Americans, 
was  in  charge  of  the  French  organization,  assisted  by 
Lieutenant  Normand.  The  headquarters  offices  of  Major 
Fink  and  his  staff  were  located  on  the  main  floor  of  Hos- 
pital E. 

Until  early  April  the  laboratory  of  Base  Hospital  32 
was  located  in  Hospital  E,  with  Lieutenant  Scott  Ed- 
wards as  officer  in  charge,  assisted  by  Lieutenant  Elmer 
Funkhouser  and  Sergeant  Don  Westfall.  On  April  8th, 
however,  in  accordance  with  the  recommendation  of 
Colonel  J.  F.  Siler,  director  of  laboratories  and  infectious 
diseases,  a  central  laboratory,  designed  to  serve  the  needs 
of  both  Base  Hospitals  31  and  32,  was  established  on  the 
second  floor  of  the  Harmand  Hotel — Hospital  3  of  Base 
Hospital  31.  The  laboratory  stafTf  was  assigned  as  fol- 
lows: Lieutenant  Scott  R.  Edwards,  officer  in  charge  and 
serology;   Lieutenant  David   Farley,   wound  bacteriolo- 


Spring,  191 8  73 

gist;  Lieutenant  Elmer  Funkhouser,  clinical  and  ana- 
tomical pathology,  and  Lieutenant  Walden  E.  Muns, 
general  bacteriology.  The  laboratory  at  Hospital  E  was 
retained  as  an  auxiliary  laboratory,  and  small  subsidiary 
laboratories  were  established  in  the  wards.  A  common 
mortuary  for  both  base  hospitals  was  maintained  in  the 
basement  of  the  Hotel  Harmand  Annex. 

The  quartermaster  commissary,  located  on  the  main 
floor  of  the  Hotel  Continental,  was  also  opened  in  April. 
Its  shelves  boasted  a  fluctuating  supply  of  toilet  articles, 
foodstuffs  and  tobacco.  Here,  if  one  were  not  too  par- 
ticular as  to  brands,  cigarettes  could  be  purchased;  and 
at  rare  intervals,  by  standing  in  line  for  an  interminable 
time,  one  might  have  the  good  fortune  to  come  away  with 
a  one-pound  tin  of  very  good  American  candy.  In  spite 
of  the  frequent  inadequacy  of  its  supplies,  the  commis- 
sary filled  a  much-needed  want.  It  was  systematically 
managed,  and  the  shortages  of  some  items  were  really  not 
so  much  the  fault  of  the  supply  system  as  they  were  of  the 
remarkable  hoarding  instinct  that  was  so  highly  devel- 
oped among  the  men.  Almost  everybody  had  a  carton  or 
two  of  "Camels"  laid  away  in  his  barracks  bag  against  a 
possible  rainy  day. 

Changes  of  personnel  during  this  period  of  the  hos- 
pital's activity  maintained  their  previous  standards  of  fre- 
quency. On  April  9th  the  first  surgical  team*  (A.  E.  F. 
No.  19),  consisting  of  Major  E.  D.  Clark,  Major  C.  B. 
McCuUouch,  Lieutenant  Ralph  Lochry,  Lillie  V.  Beck, 
Ruth  Dillon,  Mary  Ferguson,  Clarence  D.  Reitenour  and 
John  McArdle,  was  ordered  to  Compiegne  for  temporary 
duty.  On  the  same  date  Captain  Mumford  was  ordered 
to  Base  Hospital  66,  where  he  joined  a  surgical  team  from 
that  unit,  and  was  assigned  to  duty  with  the  First  French 

♦Surgical  Team,  A.  E.  F.,  No.  19,  was  mentioned  in  orders  dated  July  10, 
1918,  for  bravery  and  devotion  to  duty  under  fire. 


74  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Army  for  a  period  of  three  months.  By  this  time  Lieuten- 
ant Beeler  had  returned  to  32,  and  Lieutenant  Arthur  E. 
Guedel  had  been  ordered  to  Contrexeville  for  duty  with 
the  hospitals  at  that  point  and  at  Vittel. 

The  second  surgical  team  (A.  E.  F.  No.  20)  was  called 
out  on  April  20th  and  ordered  to  duty  with  the  French 
Third  Army.  This  team  consisted  of  Captain  Paul  F. 
Martin,  Lieutenant  Frank  C.  Walker,  Lieutenant  Ken- 
neth L.  Johnston,  Hazel  Bennet,  Eleanor  Ryan,  Harry 
Hollenbeck  and  Herman  HoUingsworth.  It  was  later 
transferred  to  the  French  Tenth  Army,  and  finally  served 
with  U.  S.  Evacuation  Hospitals  6  and  7  in  the  St.  Mihiel 
and  Argonne  sectors. 

On  April  20th  Major  Clark  was  relieved  from  duty 
with  the  first  surgical  team  and  ordered  back  to  Contrexe- 
ville. A  few  days  later  it  was  rumored  that  there  was  a 
shortage  of  medical  officers  in  the  lines,  and  on  April  26th 
Lieutenants  Quimby,  Hurt,  Funkhouser,  Ricketts  and 
Crow  were  ordered  to  the  front  for  duty  with  the  42nd 
Division.  These  officers  were  assigned  to  various  organi- 
zations with  which  they  served  for  periods  ranging  from 
six  weeks  to  more  than  two  months,  Lieutenant  Quimby 
with  the  1 1 8th  Engineers,  Lieutenant  Hurt  with  the  165th 
Infantry,  Lieutenant  Funkhouser  with  the  117th  Ammu- 
nition Train,  Lieutenant  Ricketts  with  the  150th  Field 
Artillery  and  Lieutenant  Crow  with  the  i66th  Infantry. 

The  first  enlisted  man  of  Base  Hospital  32  to  become  a 
commissioned  oflicer  was  Sergeant  Pfranklin,  who  re- 
ceived a  commission  as  first  lieutenant,  sanitary  corps,  on 
March  25th,  and  was  appointed  adjutant,  relieving  Cap- 
tain Graham.  Later  Sergeants  Hitz,  Reel,  Callis  and 
Duck  w^ere  similarly  commissioned  and  appointed  medi- 
cal supply  officer,  detachment  commander,  mess  oflicer 
and  registrar,  respectively. 

On  May  2nd  the  American  Red  Cross  opened  the  bath- 


Spring,  191 8  75 

house  of  the  Societe  des  Eaux — one  of  the  most  important 
achievements  of  Red  Cross  history  in  Contrexeville.  The 
"tin  pitcher"  sponges  which  had  hitherto  constituted  the 
sole  method  of  bathing  were  superseded  immediately  by 
luxurious  porcelain  tub  baths  with  a  bountiful  supply  of 
hot  water,  soap  and  towels.  The  main  floor  of  the  bath- 
house, with  its  twenty-nine  bathrooms,  was  reserved  for 
the  enlisted  men,  while  the  twenty-eight  bathrooms  on  the 
second  floor  were  divided  equally  between  the  officers  and 
nurses.  As  it  was  planned  to  receive  all  patients  through 
the  bathhouse  except  stretcher  cases,  whose  condition  was 
too  serious  to  permit  bathing,  the  baths  were  closed  to  the 
personnel  on  days  when  large  convoys  were  expected.  As 
a  matter  of  fact  the  opening  of  the  bathhouse  at  this  time 
was  occasioned  by  the  arrival  of  a  convoy  of  French  pa- 
tients for  the  hospital,  and  the  work  of  receiving  them  was 
greatly  facilitated. 

The  arrival  of  a  large  convoy — the  receiving,  bathing 
classification  and  distribution  of  the  patients — was  a  task 
of  sufficient  magnitude  to  test  the  efficiency  of  any  hos- 
pital organization.  Hospital  trains  sometimes  arrived  on 
very  short  notice,  and  occasionally  with  no  notice  at  all, 
but  as  a  rule  telegraphic  advice  of  their  movement  was 
received  in  sufficient  time  to  make  all  necessary  prepara- 
tions. These  notification  telegrams  were  sent  to  the  com- 
manding officer  of  the  hospital  from  the  Surgeon,  Ad- 
vance Section  and  generally  stated  the  train  number,  the 
scheduled  hour  of  arrival  at  Contrexeville,  the  number  of 
sitting  patients,  the  number  of  lying  patients,  and  a  classi- 
fication of  these  patients  as  to  nationality,  surgical  and 
medical  cases,  and  officers  and  enlisted  men.  This  statis- 
tical information,  however,  was  often  badly  garbled  and 
of  little  value,  and,  at  best,  was  seldom  more  than  a  rough 
approximation  of  the  actual  contents  of  the  train. 

The  expeditious  handling  of  a  large  convoy  was  a  mat- 


76  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

ter  of  teamwork  that  depended  upon  prompt  and  efficient 
action  from  almost  every  department  of  the  hospital.  A 
single  slip,  anywhere  in  the  system,  and  the  entire  ma- 
chine ceased  to  function  properly.  As  soon  as  notice  of 
the  movement  of  a  train  was  received  the  adjutant's  office 
immediately  notified  the  officer  in  charge  of  every  depart- 
ment concerned.  The  mess  officer  was  advised  as  to  the 
number  of  patients  expected  in  order  that  additional  ra- 
tions might  be  supplied  in  sufficient  time,  and  the  officer 
in  charge  of  each  hospital  building  was  given  a  rough 
approximation  of  the  number  of  patients  destined  for  his 
hospital.  The  preparations  within  the  buildings  were 
important.  Sufficient  beds  must  be  made  up  ready  for 
patients  and  the  wards  must  be  amply  stocked  with  what- 
ever clean  linen,  dressings,  drugs  and  pharmaceutical  sup- 
plies they  might  require.  Similar,  and  even  more  exten- 
sive preparations  were  necessary  in  the  surgery,  where  a 
long  list  of  surgical  equipment  must  be  ready  for  instant 
use,  and  the  entire  surgical  stafif,  including  the  X-ray  de- 
partment, the  anesthetists  and  the  various  specialists,  or- 
ganized for  what  might  prove  to  be  an  extended  period 
of  intensive  service.  The  sergeant  in  charge  of  the  garage 
must  have  his  ambulances  ready  and  waiting  at  the  train. 
The  medical  supply  officer  must  take  an  ample  stock  of 
stretchers,  blankets,  pajamas  and  splints  to  the  station  in 
order  to  reimburse  the  hospital  train  for  whatever  equip- 
ment might  be  transferred  with  the  patients. 

Since  all  patients  except  those  too  seriously  wounded 
were  taken  from  the  train  to  the  bathhouse  and  bathed 
before  being  sent  to  the  buildings,  it  was  necessary  to  give 
the  American  Red  Cross  early  notification,  in  order  that 
the  bathhouse  might  be  prepared  and  sufficient  supplies 
of  towels,  soap,  pajamas,  bathrobes  and  blankets  secured. 
The  quartermaster  must  be  at  the  bathhouse  to  direct  the 
handling  of  the  patients'  clothing  and  equipment,  must 


REXCH   HOSPITAL  TRAIN 


UNLOADIXG  PATIENTS  AT  THE  BATH   HOUSE     /■ 


Spring,  1918  77 

sort  and  salvage  it,  and  sterilize  the  clothing.  The  detach- 
ment commander  was  required  to  furnish  the  necessary 
details  of  stretcher  bearers  to  unload  the  train  and  to 
transfer  the  patients  to  and  from  the  ambulances  at  the 
bathhouse,  and  from  the  ambulances  into  the  various 
buildings.  Each  of  these  details  was  in  charge  of  a  non- 
commissioned officer.  Finally,  the  receiving  officer  must 
be  at  the  train  ready  to  direct  the  unloading  and  to  make 
a  rough  diagnosis  of  the  patients  and  assign  them  by 
means  of  tags  to  the  proper  buildings,  and  last,  but  by  no 
means  least,  the  registrar  must  be  prepared  to  record  the 
name,  number,  organization,  diagnosis  and  location  of 
every  patient. 

With  a  few  hours'  advance  notice  for  all  these  prepara- 
tions, the  work  of  unloading  a  train  generally  progressed 
smoothly  and  followed  a  definite  and  methodical  system. 
Under  ideal  conditions  there  was  no  evidence  of  either 
haste  or  delay.  Too  much  speed  at  the  train  meant  a 
blockade  at  the  bathhouse,  the  machinery  would  clog  and 
the  result  would  only  incur  greater  delays.  The  work 
must  proceed  in  a  quiet,  orderly  fashion,  and  at  a  certain 
definite  speed — fast  enough  to  keep  each  department  oc- 
cupied to  capacity,  but  slowly  enough  to  avoid  congestion 
anywhere  along  the  line. 

With  the  arrival  of  the  train  the  officer  in  charge  im- 
mediately reported  to  the  receiving  officer  the  exact  num- 
ber of  patients  sitting  and  lying  and  their  location  by  cars. 
Each  patient  carried  with  him  securely  attached  to  his 
clothing,  a  field  medical  card  showing  his  name,  rank, 
organization,  diagnosis  and  other  history.  This  card  had 
generally  been  prepared  by  the  attending  medical  officer 
at  the  field  hospital  which  received  the  patients  orig- 
inally, and  was  intended  to  accompany  the  man  through 
all  evacuation  and  base  hospitals  through  which  he  might 
pass.    Subsequent  notations  of  operations,  treatment,  etc., 


78  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

were  entered  on  the  card  from  time  to  time,  so  that  any 
medical  organization  to  which  the  man  might  be  sent  re- 
ceived, attached  to  the  patient  himself,  a  complete  history 
of  the  case. 

With  the  information  indicated  on  these  cards,  and 
with  the  assistance  of  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  train,  the 
receiving  officer  was  able  to  give  priority  to  the  most 
serious  stretcher  cases.  These  were  removed  from  the 
train  immediately,  transferred  carefully  to  the  waiting 
ambulances,  and  driven,  four  to  a  car,  directly  to  the 
hospital  buildings  to  which  they  had  been  assigned.  Here 
they  were  met  by  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  building  and 
transferred,  under  his  directions,  to  the  wards  previously 
prepared  and  waiting  to  receive  them. 

The  less  serious  stretcher  cases  and  the  sitting  cases 
were  loaded  into  the  ambulances,  four  lying  or  eight  sit- 
ting, and  sent  to  the  bathhouse.  The  officer  in  charge  here 
was  assisted  by  three  non-commissioned  officers,  one  in 
charge  of  the  detail  that  unloaded  and  reloaded  the  am- 
bulances, and  two  others  directing  details  in  each  wing 
of  the  bathhouse,  whose  duty  it  was  to  prepare  the  tubs 
and  assist  the  patients  in  undressing  and  bathing.  As  soon 
as  the  patients  arrived,  each  one  was  given  clean  pajamas, 
socks,  a  towel  and  a  pair  of  slippers.  The  Red  Cross  also 
provided  each  man  with  a  comfort  bag  to  which  they 
transferred  their  money  and  valuables.  They  were  then 
directed  to  the  rooms  in  either  wing  of  the  building, 
where  baths  were  prepared  and  waiting  for  them. 

Here  the  patients,  if  they  arrived  in  uniform,  parted 
with  their  clothing  and  equipment,  all  of  which  was  piled 
outside  the  bathroom  door  by  the  orderly  in  charge. 
These  piles  were  collected  immediately  and  taken  to  a 
large  room  in  the  center  of  the  building,  where  a  quarter- 
master's detail  sorted  and  bundled  them  prior  to  steriliza- 
tion.  In  the  case  of  American  soldiers  all  ordnance  prop- 


Spring,  191 8  79 

erty  was  taken  up  and  shipped  to  the  nearest  ordnance 
depot.  Clothing  was  sterilized  and  then  salvaged,  along 
with  shoes,  to  be  put  back  into  stock  and  reissued.  French 
and  Allied  clothing  and  equipment,  however,  was  han- 
dled differently.  The  patients  were  given  checks,  stubs  of 
which  were  attached  to  their  clothing,  which  was  then 
sterilized  and  later  returned  to  them  as  soon  as  they  were 
able  to  leave  the  hospital.  It  might  be  said  in  passing 
that  however  necessary  this  sterilization  was,  it  was 
hardly  calculated  to  enhance  the  beauty  of  a  garment. 
Many  a  beautiful,  form-fitting  uniform  was  ruined  in  the 
process,  and  many  a  French  officer  uttered  a  horrified 
''Mon  Dieu!"  and  refused  to  believe  his  eyes  when  his 
clothing  was  returned  to  him.  A  freshly  sterilized  uni- 
form was  a  sorry  sight,  at  best.  It  was  probably  sanitary, 
but  that  was  all  that  could  be  said  for  it. 

When  the  patients  emerged  from  the  bathrooms  in 
clean  pajamas  they  w^ere  bundled  into  bathrobes  and 
blankets,  classified  as  to  surgical  or  medical  cases,  and 
taken  out  to  the  ambulances  which  were  waiting  to  trans- 
port them  to  the  respective  buildings.  In  the  meantime 
the  more  serious  cases  which  had  been  received  direct 
from  the  train  were  already  installed  in  the  wards. 

In  addition  to  relieving  the  congestion  at  the  hospital 
buildings,  the  big  advantage  of  this  method  of  receiving 
the  bulk  of  a  convoy  through  the  bathhouse  was  that  the 
patients  arrived  at  the  buildings  clean  and  were  installed 
immediately  in  fresh  clean  beds.  The  nurses  and  orderlies 
were  not  obliged  to  bathe  them  and  could  give  attention 
immediately  to  more  important  work. 

Following  closely  the  opening  of  the  bathhouse,  an- 
other important  achievement  of  the  Red  Cross  was  the 
opening  of  the  Casino  Theatre  on  May  4th.  Mrs.  Bel- 
mont Tiffany  of  New  York,  who  was  prominently  identi- 
fied with  the  Red  Cross  work  in  France,  was  present  on 


8o  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

this  occasion  and  was  one  of  the  principal  speakers  on  the 
opening  program.  It  was  at  this  time,  too,  that  the  an- 
nouncement was  made  of  the  transfer  of  Captain  Lawr- 
ence Hitchcock,  through  whose  efforts  the  theater  had 
been  obtained,  to  the  Paris  headquarters  of  the  American 
Red  Cross,  and  the  appointment  of  Captain  William  H. 
Thompson  as  his  successor. 

The  Casino  Theatre  was  a  thoroughly  modern  struc- 
ture, beautifully  decorated  and  perfect  in  its  appoint- 
ments. Under  the  auspices  of  the  Red  Cross  it  oftered  a 
diversity  of  attractions,  and  played  to  crowded  houses. 
The  pictures  were  good  and  the  musical  entertainments 
well  planned.  Officers,  nurses,  enlisted  men  and  con- 
valescent patients  alike  flocked  to  the  Casino  and  forgot 
their  homesickness. 

With  spring  well  along,  and  a  few  days  of  real  baseball 
weather  coming  between  rains,  it  was  only  natural  that 
some  of  the  more  ardent  fans  turned  their  attention  to 
getting  up  a  team.  The  team  was  duly  organized  with 
the  following  lineup:  Ashe,  catcher;  Brown  and  White, 
pitchers;  Sheller,  first  base;  Swaim,  second  base;  Rich, 
shortstop;  Quinn,  third  base;  Bradley,  Fishback  and  Cor- 
rigan,  fielders.  The  first  game  was  scheduled  with  Base 
Hospital  36  on  May  4th,  32  losing  by  a  score  of  8  to  2. 
The  second  game,  with  Base  Hospital  23  on  May  nth, 
resulted  in  another  defeat,  23  winning  9  to  5.  The  Base 
Hospital  32  team  was  late  in  organizing  and  was  greatly 
handicapped  in  these  early  games  by  the  lack  of  a  good 
field  for  practice.  It  was  not  until  mid-summer,  after  a 
monotonous  series  of  defeats,  that  they  finally  struck  their 
stride,  and  on  July  13th  won  their  first  game  by  trouncing 
Base  Hospital  31  to  the  tune  of  1 1  to  4. 

The  first  influenza  epidemic  which  32  encountered 
broke  out  on  May  19th  and  spread  rapidly  through  the 
organization.  Within  ten  days'  time  almost  a  third  of  the 


Spring,  191 8  81 

entire  personnel  had  experienced  a  more  or  less  severe 
touch  of  the  "flu."  The  illness  at  this  time  was  character- 
ized by  a  high  fever  and  the  usual  influenza  symptoms, 
but  was  of  surprisingly  brief  duration,  and  most  of  the 
men  were  back  on  duty  within  a  few  days.  Scarlet  fever 
also  broke  out  in  the  organization  late  in  May,  but  the 
cases  were  isolated  immediately  and  the  danger  of  con- 
tagion averted. 

On  May  30th  the  entire  command  of  Base  Hospitals  31 
and  32,  together  with  the  French  military  and  civilians, 
joined  in  the  observation  of  Memorial  Day.  No  better 
description  of  the  Memorial  Day  exercises  could  be  given 
than  that  contained  in  the  following  extract  from  a  letter 
by  a  member  of  the  unit:* 

I  can't  stop  this  letter  without  telling  you  about  Memo- 
rial Day  as  we  celebrated  it  here — and  perhaps  if  any  one 
who  reads  this  has  lost  a  soldier  over  here  it  will  help  a 
little  to  know  in  what  reverence  his  memory  is  held,  for  I 
am  certain  the  scene  here  was  more  or  less  typical  of  what 
took  place  every  place  in  France  where  the  American 
flag  marks  the  resting  place  of  an  American  soldier. 

It  was  one  of  those  days  you  could  never  forget,  and 
wouldn't  if  you  could — even  in  these  days  so  full  of  inci- 
dent and  color,  when  so  much  is  happening  all  the  time 
that  it  makes  one  almost  giddy  to  try  and  keep  up  with  it. 
All  these  things  going  on  so  close — and  though  we  see 
only  a  little  tiny  corner  of  it,  comparatively,  still  it  is 
enough  to  give  us  an  idea  of  what  it  must  be  closer  over 
to  the  big  show  itself.  And  way  off  here,  6,000  miles  from 
home.  Memorial  Day  seemed  different  than  it  ever  did 
before — and  I  guess  it  WAS  different,  for  all  of  us — I 
know  that  two  years  ago  I  spent  it  out  at  pagoda  in  the 
Speedway,  keeping  a  weather  eye  on  the  death  curve,  and 
that  last  Memorial  Day  I  was  sitting  in  Johnny  Burton's 
old  "concrete  mixer"  out  at  Fort  Harrison,  watching  the 
future  oflicers  having  field  day — and  it's  a  long  trail  from 

*From  a  letter  from  Mary  Bostwick  published  in  the  Indianapolis  Star. 


82  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

either  of  these  places  to  the  little  Catholic  graveyard  in 
this  corner  of  France. 

A  part  of  this  old  cemetery  has  been  set  apart  for  the 
American  boys  who  die  in  the  hospitals  here,  and  in  this 
section  are  two  graves — soldiers  who  died  about  two 
months  ago,  soon  after  having  been  brought  here — and  it 
was  over  the  two  graves  that  the  ceremonies  of  the  day 
centered. 

It  was  the  most  beautiful  day  you  ever  saw — all  white 
and  blue  and  gold  and  sparkling,  and  many  of  the  nurses 
had  gone  out  the  previous  day  and  brought  in  great  arm- 
loads of  the  wild  flowers  that  grow  everywhere  here — 
lilies-of-the-valley  and  big  white  daisies  and  pink  haw- 
thorn— and  the  people  of  the  town  had  given  peonies  and 
lilacs,  so  that  altogether  there  was  about  a  truckload  of 
flowers. 

There  was  a  parade  first,  of  course,  forming  in  the 
Colonnade,  and  the  crowd  that  watched  the  parade  form 
and  that  lined  the  curb  along  the  line  of  march  was  as 
much  a  picture  as  the  parade  itself.  There  were  all  the 
nurses  of  the  two  hospitals,  with  their  white  uniforms  and 
caps  and  their  dark  blue  capes  lined  with  scarlet;  there 
were  any  number  of  soldiers  of  all  our  allies — but  with 
the  French  the  most  in  evidence,  of  course,  because  there 
are  so  many  hundreds  of  French  patients  here  and  most 
of  them  wear  the  sky  blue,  and  there  were  hundreds  of 
American  soldiers,  convalescing  here,  and  from  all  the 
windows  of  all  the  hospitals  bandaged  heads  were  stick- 
ing out,  and  even  a  few  patients  came  adventuring  out  in 
their  pajamas  and  bathrobes  so  as  not  to  miss  anything. 
Taking  it  by  and  large,  it  was  quite  a  collection. 

The  parade  wasn't  any  great  shakes  of  a  parade  so  far 
as  size  was  concerned,  but  Fm  here  to  tell  you  that  it 
meant  more  to  us  over  here  than  all  the  gorgeous  pro- 
cessions and  pageants  that  ever  marched  through  the  city 
streets  in  peace  time — not  even  excepting  the  famous 
"Germ  Parades"  and  others  I  have  witnessed.  First  came 
the  brass  band — we've  got  two,  the  jazz  band  and  the 
brass  band,  and  this  was  the  brass  band  of  about  twenty 


Spring,  191 8  83 

pieces,  composed  of  men  of  both  units,  and  then  came  all 
the  available  men  of  the  hospital  units — every  man  that 
could  be  spared  from  detail — all  spick  and  span  in  their 
uniforms— even  wearing  their  bunchy  first-aid  belts. 
There  must  have  been  about  300  medical  corps  men  in 
line. 

In  the  middle  of  the  procession  came  the  flag — a  great 
big  American  flag — and  acting  as  a  guard  of  honor  to  it 
were  five  French  soldiers,  who  are  stationed  here  as  inter- 
preters and  who,  I  think,  have  been  in  all  the  principal 
battles  of  the  war.  They  wore  their  sky  blue  uniforms, 
with  the  queer,  cumbersome  overcoats,  looped  back  and 
buttoned,  and  battered  trench  casques  of  blue  painted 
steel  were  on  their  heads,  and  to  their  sides  were  strapped 
big  trench  knives.  Every  one  stood  at  attention,  very  stiff 
and  straight,  as  the  flag  went  by — the  French  saluting  in 
that  peculiar  palm-outward  way  they  have.  That  was  all 
there  was  to  the  parade — but  when  you  come  to  think  of 
it,  what  more  was  needed?  The  whole  story  was  right 
there. 

In  the  reviewing  stand — which  wasn't  a  stand  at  all, 
but  just  a  place  on  the  main  promenade — were  the  two 
C.  O.'s  and  all  the  other  officers  and  some  of  the  way-up 
French  officers,  including  the  "medicin  chef"  and  the 
mayor — the  mayor  being  a  very  stately  and  bewhiskered 
old  party  in  a  long  coat  with  a  tri-color  sash  across  his 
breast. 

As  soon  as  the  parade  had  passed  every  one  hurried  up 
to  the  cemetery  and  crowded  in  the  space  about  the  two 
graves  of  the  American  soldiers — and  a  little  later  the 
medical  corps  men  marched  up  and  the  band  and  the 
officers.  Close  to  the  graves  of  the  two  Americans  stood 
an  American  soldier  holding  a  big  French  flag,  and  as  our 
color  bearer  came  up,  the  two  stood  together.  I  wish  I 
could  send  you  a  picture  of  the  whole  thing.  Every  one 
who  could  possibly  get  there  was  there — the  cemetery  was 
packed  with  people — soldiers  and  nurses— the  walls 
around  the  cemetery  were  lined  with  soldiers,  French  and 
American,  and  almost  every  citizen  of  this  little  town  was 


84  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

there,  for  to  them  this  was  all  a  very  strange  and  new 
ceremony. 

The  town  is  in  a  valley,  and  the  cemetery,  at  the  edge  of 
the  town,  is  on  a  rise  of  ground,  and  all  around  on  the 
surrounding  hills  w^ere  men  and  women  working  in  the 
fields— plowing  and  planting,  and  every  little  while  stop- 
ping to  turn  and  look  down  on  the  cemetery  where  the 
crowd  had  gathered.  I  can't  tell  how  beautiful  the  picture 
was.  It  would  have  to  be  seen — the  soft  and  brilliant 
colors,  the  contrast  of  those  men  and  women  working 
there  on  their  little  farms,  and  the  services  being  held  over 
the  graves  of  those  two  American  boys. 

The  program  was  very  simple.  The  band,  standing 
close  beside  the  graves,  played  a  dirge,  the  bishop  and  the 
chaplain  of  the  other  unit  both  made  addresses,  and  so  did 
the  medicin  chef.  He  spoke  first  in  English  and  then  in 
French,  for  the  benefit  of  the  French  soldiers — and  the 
band  played  ''My  Country,  'Tis  of  Thee"  and  the  "Mar- 
sellaise,"  and  then,  as  six  enlisted  men  scattered  the  flow- 
ers over  the  two  graves,  "Nearer,  My  God,  to  Thee." 
Every  soldier  there  stood  at  salute  as  a  firing  squad  of 
marines  fired  three  volleys  ofif  toward  the  hills,  and  the 
echoes  were  still  coming  back  as  the  two  buglers  blew 
"Taps."  I  couldn't  help  but  wish  that  the  families  and 
friends  of  those  two  boys  could  have  been  here.  I  know 
that  wherever  I  go  Til  never  forget  that  Memorial  Day 
here  in  France  in  1918. 


■  Ti'm 


1 4  -Iji 


BASTILLE  DAY  CEREMONIES 


VII 

Summer,  191 8 

JUNE  started  off  with  a  rush.  A  telegram  received  on 
May  31st  told  of  a  trainload  of  four  hundred  patients 
destined  for  Contrexeville  and  due  to  arrive  that  night  at 
eleven  o'clock.  A  later  wire  set  the  hour  for  three  in  the 
morning.  Finally,  about  five  o'clock,  after  the  unit  had 
spent  a  sleepless  night  waiting,  the  train  arrived.  It  car- 
ried a  mixed  assortment  of  allied  patients,  British, 
French,  Hindu  and  French  colonial  troops,  and  the  inter- 
preters worked  overtime. 

Another  convoy  arrived  June  2nd,  an  ambulance  train 
this  time,  carrying  about  fifty  American  patients  from 
Baccarat.  George  Sandford,  who  had  been  transferred 
from  32  at  Fort  Harrison,  was  one  of  the  ambulance 
drivers.  Additional  convoys  were  received  by  ambulance 
on  the  1 8th,  20th  and  23rd — the  last  arriving  at  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  including  twelve  wounded 
German  prisoners,  who  excited  considerable  curiosity. 
Souvenir  hunters  raided  their  uniforms  and  equipment 
in  search  of  buttons  and  belt  buckles,  and  a  few  of  the 
linguists  engaged  them  in  conversation.  They  predicted 
at  least  another  year  of  war  and  a  conclusion  without  a 
decisive  victory  for  either  side.  One  of  the  prisoners 
seemed  very  young,  apparently  ndt  over  sixteen,  but,  ex- 
cept for  their  wounds,  they  were  all  in  good  shape  physi- 
cally, and  their  uniforms  and  equipment  were  of  excel- 
lent quality  and  in  good  condition.  They  were  placed  in 
a  ward  by  themselves  in  Hospital  A  and  were  kept  under 
constant  guard. 

There  was  some  excitement  on  the  night  of  June  26th 
when  a  telephone  call  from  Neufchateau  announced  that 

8s 


86  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

German  planes  had  just  flown  over  the  town  and  were 
headed  for  Contrexeville.  Occasional  air  raids  had  been 
reported  from  neighboring  towns — principally  Chau- 
mont  and  Neufchateau,  but  Contrexeville,  on  account  of 
its  size  and  because  of  the  absence  of  any  industries  or 
troops  other  than  medical  organizations,  had  always  been 
regarded  as  comparatively  safe.  The  alarm  was  spread 
rapidly.  Lights  were  extinguished,  and  there  followed  a 
few  tense  minutes  of  waiting,  but  no  planes  appeared.  In 
spite  of  the  rumors  that  circulated  back  home,  this  was  as 
near  as  32  ever  came  to  being  bombed. 

Another  trainload  of  patients  arrived  on  June  29th, 
when  one  hundred  and  twenty-three  Americans,  mostly 
gas  and  liquid  fire  casualties  from  the  Luneville  sector, 
were  admitted  to  the  hospital.  Busy  days  followed,  and 
the  number  of  empty  beds  neared  the  minimum. 

In  spite  of  the  frequency  of  convoys  and  the  long  hours 
of  work  which  their  arrival  incurred,  there  were  occa- 
sional lulls  when  at  least  a  part  of  the  personnel  found 
time  for  recreation  and  amusement.  There  was  the  Y 
concert  on  June  12th,  and  the  baseball  game  with  Base 
Hospital  36  a  week  later,  which  32  lost  by  a  score  of 
12  to  6. 

On  June  20th  the  enlisted  men  of  Base  Hospitals  31  and 
32  presented  a  minstrel  show  at  the  Red  Cross  Theater 
that  filled  the  house  to  standing  room.  The  minstrels  were 
produced  under  the  direction  of  a  committee  which  in- 
cluded Paul  R.  Matthews  and  Joseph  Duffy,  of  Base 
Hospital  32,  and  Walter  Onorato  and  Arthur  Mulvihill, 
of  Base  Hospital  31.  The  lines  and  songs  were  clever,  and 
the  presentation  was  enthusiastically  received.  John  Dun- 
can, Bernard  Bradley  and  Hallie  Hamilton  made  excel- 
lent end  men,  and  special  numbers  by  Herman  Earnest 
and  Wilbur  Baldwin  were  among  the  features  of  the  per- 
formance. A  chorus  of  forty  voices  included  the  following 


Summer,  1918  87 

from  32:  James  Sertell,  Edward  Reeves,  Charles  Stough, 
Leslie  Summers,  Harry  Brown,  Louis  Stuart,  Glenn 
Riggs,  Harry  Riddell,  Marchael  Lyons,  Roger  Giles, 
Samuel  Hart,  Earl  Baker,  Clarence  Campbell,  Paul  Fer- 
rel,  John  Lukens,  Ferrel  Searls  and  Vinton  Diemer. 
Paul  R.  Matthews  was  musical  director  and  the  orchestra 
included  Vernon  Sheller,  Joseph  Duffy,  D.  K.  Jones  and 
Paul  Bishop.   Raymond  Cooke  was  stage  electrician. 

July  4th  witnessed  an  interesting  celebration  of  Inde- 
pendence Day,  a  brilliant  feature  being  the  military  pa- 
rade in  which  British,  French  and  Colonial  troops  joined 
with  the  Americans  from  both  hospitals.  The  program 
was  under  the  direction  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  C.  R. 
Clark,  of  Base  Hospital  31,  and  the  celebration  was  cen- 
tered in  the  park  in  front  of  the  colonnade.  Captain 
Frank  Fuller,  Bishop  Francis,  Major  Charles  Fink  and 
M.  Morel,  mayor  of  Contrexeville,  delivered  brief  ad- 
dresses. The  town  w^as  gaily  decorated  with  American 
flags,  most  of  which  had  been  cleverly  improvised  by  the 
natives  from  whatever  material  was  at  hand.  The  after- 
noon was  devoted  to  athletics,  with  a  double-header  base- 
ball game  as  a  headliner.  "32"  came  out  with  an  even 
break  in  these  games,  their  officers  defeating  the  officers 
of  31  by  a  score  of  12  to  2,  while  the  enlisted  men  were 
beaten  11  to  3. 

Similar,  but  somewhat  simpler  exercises,  marked  the 
observance  of  Bastille  Day  on  July  14th.  The  town  blos- 
somed out  again  with  flags,  and  the  tri-color  hung  con- 
spicuously from  American  buildings.  An  interesting  cere- 
mony in  charge  of  the  mayor,  M.  Morel,  was  occasioned 
by  the  decorating  of  two  French  soldiers  with  the  Croix 
de  Guerre. 

Changes  in  personnel  during  June  and  July  were  nu- 
merous. On  June  ist  William  P.  Davis  was  transferred 
to  Red  Cross  Military  Hospital  i  at  Paris  for  duty.   On 


88  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

June  15th  the  officers'  personnel  of  Base  Hospital  32  was 
augmented  by  the  addition  of  Lieutenant  Charles  E. 
Wagner  and  Lieutenant  Van  N.  Verplanck.  Two  more 
officers  were  acquired  on  June  26th  when  Captain  C.  W. 
Banner  and  Lieutenant  Albert  Barr  reported  for  duty.  It 
was  at  about  this  time  also  that  the  following  nurses  and 
enlisted  men  left  for  several  days'  duty  with  Evacuation 
Hospital  2  at  Baccarat:  Kathryn  Graber,  Florine  Os- 
tenzi,  Elsie  Peacock,  Addie  Threlkeld,  Alys  Weitendorf, 
Archibald  Cantrall,  Wells  B.  Andrews,  Morris  Drosdo- 
witz,  Roger  Giles,  Paul  Jericho,  Ed  Kahle,  John  Lar- 
more,  Joseph  Pugh,  Clifford  Williams  and  Lowell 
Young. 

Other  nurses  ordered  to  Baccarat  for  duty  during  June 
were  Tulie  Roberson,  Lena  L.  Payne,  Anna  Rohr,  Mar- 
garet McCoppin,  Beulah  Prust,  Ruth  Wright  and  Mary 
Bowen.  These  nurses  replaced  Nellie  Rock,  Madge 
Baldwin,  Dora  Blank,  Birda  R.  Hunt,  Golda  Smith, 
Amy  Prosser  and  Mayme  O'Connel  who  were  returned 
to  duty  with  "32." 

On  July  I  ith  Lieutenant  John  T.  Day  was  transferred 
to  Base  Hospital  loi,  and  on  July  14th  Captain  Eugene 
B.  Mumford,  Captain  Paul  Martin,  Lieutenant  Frank  C. 
Walker  and  Lieutenant  Kenneth  L.  Johnston,  together 
with  nurses  Hazel  Bennet,  Eleanor  Ryan,  Sergeant  Harry 
HoUenbeck  and  Herman  HoUingsworth,  all  of  whom 
had  been  on  detached  service  with  Surgical  Team  20, 
were  ordered  back  to  32  for  duty.  A  few  days  later,  how- 
ever, when  Surgical  Team  20  was  called  to  Evacuation 
Hospital  7,  Captain  Martin,  Lieutenant  Walker,  Miss 
Bennett  and  Miss  Ryan  were  called  with  it,  and  Captain 
James  and  Richard  K.  Johnson  accompanied  them. 

On  July  1 2th  Mary  Bostwick  and  Geraldine  Frost, 
civilian  employees,  were  transferred  to  Headquarters,  S. 
O.  S.  at  Tours. 


Summer,  191 8  89 

The  personnel  was  further  depleted  by  the  transfer  of 
Lieutenant  Lochry  to  Base  Hospital  116,  and  by  the  as- 
signment to  Surgical  Team  19  of  Lieutenant  Kenneth 
Johnston,  Nellie  Rock,  Mary  Mangan  and  Lowell 
Young.  Lieutenant  J.  W.  Scherer  and  Claude  E.  Snyder 
were  transferred  to  the  Twentieth  Engineers.  Lieutenant 
Scherer  was  succeeded  by  Lieutenant  Stanley  S.  Rey- 
nolds, D.  R.  C. 

One  of  the  most  important  changes  in  the  personnel 
during  this  period  of  the  unit's  history  occurred  on  July 
15th,  when  Major  H.  H.  Van  Kirk  was  relieved  from 
duty  with  Base  Hospital  32  and  transferred  to  Bazoilles 
to  assume  command  of  Base  Hospital  18.  Following  the 
transfer  of  Major  Van  Kirk,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Edmund 
D.  Clark,  who  had  recently  been  promoted  from  major, 
became  commanding  officer  of  Base  Hospital  32,  and 
Major  A.  B.  Graham  was  appointed  officer  in  charge  of 
Hospital  A. 

In  addition  to  all  of  these  changes  in  the  personnel, 
July  also  saw  the  beginning  of  the  formation  of  the  Vittel- 
Contrexeville  Hospital  Center.  This  step  was  in  con- 
formity with  the  policy  recently  adopted  by  the  chief  sur- 
geon's office  of  grouping  all  neighboring  base  hospitals 
together  under  a  central  headquarters  office,  and  marked 
some  important  changes  in  the  operation  of  the  hospital. 
Under  the  new  system  the  individual  hospitals  continued 
to  function  independently  under  their  own  commanding 
officers,  but  all  transportation,  supplies  and  equipment 
were  concentrated  in  the  central  offices,  and  matters  of 
local  jurisdiction  were  under  the  authority  of  the  com- 
manding officer  of  the  center.  A  complete  change  in 
paper  work  was  necessitated,  and  all  reports,  correspond- 
ence, etc.,  were  filed  through  the  Hospital  Center  offices. 

One  of  the  first  steps  in  the  formation  of  the  Center  was 
the  transfer  of  all  trucks,  ambulances  and  transportation 


90  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

equipment  to  Vittel.  This  change  came  July  i6th,  much 
to  the  disgust  of  a  large  detail  of  men  who  had  been  dig- 
ging for  days  through  solid  rock  to  make  a  place  for  a 
huge  underground  gasoline  tank  to  supply  the  32  garage. 
The  tank  was  no  sooner  installed  than  the  order  came  to 
transfer  all  transportation  to  the  Center  and  close  the 
garage. 

The  organization  of  the  Hospital  Center  headquarters 
staflf  and  the  transfer  of  all  quartermaster  and  medical 
supplies  to  the  Center  supply  depots  involved  consider- 
able labor  and  was  not  completed  for  several  weeks. 
Lieutenant  Colonel  G.  V.  Rukke  was  relieved  as  com- 
manding ofBcer  of  Base  Hospital  23  and  assumed  com- 
mand of  the  Center  with  headquarters  offices  at  Vittel. 
Lieutenant  A.  C.  Calish,  of  Base  Hospital  23,  became 
adjutant  and  Major  Hickey,  also  of  Base  Hospital  23, 
was  appointed  group  quartermaster.  Base  Hospital  32 
was  represented  on  the  Center  headquarters  staff  by 
Major  Chas.  D.  Humes  as  consulting  neurologist  and 
Lieutenant  Benjamin  D.  Hitz  as  group  medical  supply 
officer.  Captain  Arthur  E.  Guedel,  of  Indianapolis,  was 
consulting  anesthetist  for  the  Center. 

The  last  days  of  July  found  the  hospital  experiencing  a 
period  of  the  most  intensive  service  in  its  entire  history. 
Convoy  after  convoy  arrived,  and  officers,  nurses  and  en- 
listed men  alike  worked  at  long  stretches,  and  rested  when 
they  could.  On  July  22nd  a  trainload  of  five  hundred  and 
thirteen  patients  from  the  Twenty-sixth  Division,  north- 
west of  Chateau  Thierry,  arrived,  and  on  the  following 
day  two  hundred  and  forty-nine  more.  On  July  25th  an- 
other convoy  of  more  than  three  hundred  was  admitted  to 
the  hospital,  making  a  total  of  considerably  more  than  one 
thousand  patients  received  within  four  days.  Many  of 
these  came  directly  from  field  and  mobile  hospitals,  so 
that  Base  Hospital  32  was  really  functioning  as  an  evacu- 


Summer,  1918  91 

ation  hospital  to  a  large  degree.    The  normal  capacity  of 
the  hospital  during  July  is  recorded  as  being  one  thousand 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five,  and  the  emergency  capacity 
one  thousand  four  hundred  and  fifty.   At  one  time  during 
this  busy  period  the  patients  in  the  hospital  totaled  one 
thousand   four  hundred   and  seventy-two.    With   emer- 
gency cots  in  the  corridors  and  mattresses  in  every  avail- 
able corner,  the  patients  still  overflowed  the  buildings. 
On  July  25th  the  enlisted  men  of  the  personnel,  who  were 
billeted  in  the  "Glass  House,"  vacated  their  quarters  and 
took  to  "pup"  tents  on  the  hill  near  the  old  theater.   For 
some  time  after  that  the  "Glass  House"  was  used  as  a  sur- 
gical ward  to  take  care  of  the  overflow  from  Hospital  A. 
August  saw  fewer  changes  in  the  personnel  than  almost 
any  month  in  foreign  service.  With  the  exception  of  the 
transfer  of  Nurses  Jeanette  Miller  and  Jesse  M.  Ervin  to 
Base  Hospital  8  on  August  5th,  no  permanent  transfers 
are  recorded.   On  account  of  the  unusually  crowded  con- 
ditions of  the  hospital,  the  seven-day  leaves  of  absence, 
which  many  of  the  command  had  been  enjoying,  were 
temporarily  suspended  and  were  not  resumed  until  the 
latter  part  of  the  month.  The  leave  regulations  permitted 
a  seven-day  leave  of  absence  in  any  prescribed  A.  E.  F. 
leave  area  once  in  every  six  months  of  service.    There 
were  a  number  of  these  leave  areas,  but  among  the  most 
popular  and  those  most  frequently  visited  by  the  members 
of  "32"  were  the  areas  at  Nice,  Aix-les-Bains,   Haute 
Savoie,  St.  Malo  and  Grenoble.    The  seven  days'  leave 
did  not  include  the  time  spent  in  going  or  coming  from 
the  areas,  so  that  an  absence  of  twelve,  or  even  fourteen 
days  was  not  uncommon.   Trains  were  slow  and  connec- 
tions uncertain,  and  the  system  oflfered  unlimited  oppor- 
tunities for  extensive  travel.     Short,  direct  routes  were 
studiously  avoided,  and  a  circuitous  itinerary  was  gen- 
erally planned  that  consumed  the  maximum  time  allow- 


92  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

ance,  and  included  Paris,  and  numerous  other  points  of 
interest. 

August  was  another  busy  month,  but  there  was  never  a 
period  so  busy  that  it  was  not  without  its  occasional  mo- 
ments of  diversion.  August  8th  saw  a  benefit  musical  per- 
formance in  the  park,  attended  by  a  little  group  of  civilian 
summer  visitors  and  a  large  representation  of  patients  and 
personnel.  On  August  14th  the  enlisted  men  presented  a 
vaudeville  show  which  was  well  attended  and  enthusi- 
astically received.  Earnest  and  Lounsbury  were  features 
of  the  bill  with  clever  and  original  numbers  that  scored 
big  hits. 

The  baseball  game  on  the  afternoon  of  August  i8th,  in 
which  Base  Hospital  32  battled  with  Base  Hospital  66  in 
an  exciting  twelve-inning  game  to  a  5  to  5  tie,  was  one  of 
the  outstanding  events  of  the  baseball  season.  It  was  in 
this  game  that  both  George  White  and  Harry  Brown,  two 
mainstays  of  the  "32"  pitching  staff,  broke  their  arms,  and 
were  out  of  the  game  for  the  balance  of  the  summer. 

During  the  latter  part  of  August  the  150th  Field  Artil- 
lery was  stationed  in  and  about  Bulgneville,  a  few  miles 
from  Base  Hospital  32,  and  visits  betvv^en  friends  in  the 
two  organizations  were  frequently  exchanged.  A  dinner 
dance  given  in  honor  of  the  officers  of  the  150th  Field 
Artillery  on  August  24th  by  the  officers  of  "32"  proved  to 
be  one  of  the  most  brilliant  social  events  of  the  summer. 
An  excellent  jazz  orchestra  composed  of  "32"  talent  fur- 
nished the  music. 

The  Base  Hospital  32  tennis  tournaments  were  held  on 
August  27th  and  28th  on  the  courts  on  the  hill  back  of  the 
officers'  quarters.  A  large  crowd  of  fans  witnessed  the 
championship  finals,  in  which  Glenn  Smith  defeated  Roy 
Rich  in  an  exciting  five-set  match,  the  last  and  deciding 
set  finally  going  to  Smith  by  a  score  of  8  to  6. 

By  the  end  of  August  the  organization  was  experienc- 


UALL  GAME,  JULY  4,   IVIS 


Summer,  1918  93 

ing  something  like  a  lull  in  the  hospital  work.  Convoys 
were  less  frequent,  and  the  records  show  that  only  three 
hundred  and  seventy-one  patients  were  admitted  to  the 
hospital  during  the  entire  month.  These  figures,  however, 
are  no  indication  of  the  condition  of  the  hospital  during 
the  early  part  of  August.  For  the  most  part,  the  wards 
were  crowded,  and  the  work  was  correspondingly  heavy. 
The  stream  of  convoys  that  had  kept  pouring  into  Con- 
trexeville  during  the  preceding  month  had  necessitated 
the  evacuation  of  every  patient  that  could  possibly  be 
moved.  The  result  was  that  the  wards  were  not  only 
crowded,  but  crowded  with  serious  cases.  With  the  grad- 
ual improvement  of  these  cases,  however,  they  were  evac- 
uated to  base  hospitals  farther  back  of  the  lines,  and  the 
number  of  vacant  beds  was  materially  increased.  Sup- 
plies were  replenished  and  the  hospital  waited  in  readi- 
ness for  the  next  drive. 

Promotions  occurring  in  the  enlisted  personnel  during 
the  summer  were  as  follows:  Ashworth,  Judd,  McHugh 
and  Robinson,  to  sergeants,  first  class;  O'Hern,  Lukens, 
Riggs  and  George  White,  to  sergeants;  Dufify,  Sanagan, 
Davey,  Heffner,  Campbell,  Bubelis  and  Jackson,  to  cor- 
porals, and  Barnett,  Downard,  Ferrell,  Glotfelty,  W.  C. 
Johnson,  Lamson,  Marshall,  Routh,  Shearer,  Spainhour, 
Sutton,  Plumb,  Baker,  Brown,  Anstead,  Cooke,  Coppock, 
Geise,  Green,  Griffith,  Jones,  Lyons,  Hoffman,  Mangus, 
Morgan,  O'Reilly,  Sertell,  Summers,  Weer,  Wright  and 
Porter  to  privates,  first  class. 


VIII 

Fall,  191 8 

SEPTEMBER  i,  191 8,  the  anniversary  of  the  mobili- 
zation of  Base  Hospital  32,  was  the  occasion  of  a 
large  birthday  celebration  by  the  enlisted  men  at  the 
Hotel  de  la  Providence.  The  mess  fund,  under  the  care- 
ful supervision  of  Lieutenant  Callis,  had  by  this  time  ac- 
cumulated quite  a  surplus,  and  a  considerable  portion  of 
this  was  devoted  to  a  big  "feed"  in  the  Providence  dining 
room.  It  was  a  bountiful  feast  at  which  hilarity  reigned 
supreme.  Music  and  other  entertainment  added  to  the 
festivity  of  the  occasion  and  made  the  first  anniversary 
party  was  a  memorable  one.  A  similar  celebration  in  the 
nurses'  quarters  at  the  Modernewas  followed  by  a  dance. 

A  review  of  the  hospital's  work  during  its  first  year 
shows  that  from  the  time  of  its  opening  in  the  early 
Spring  until  September  i,  1918,  three  thousand  six  hun- 
dred and  ninety-five  patients  had  been  admitted,  of  which 
two  thousand  six  hundred  and  eighty-two  were  Amer- 
icans, eight  hundred  and  eighty-four  French,  one  hun- 
dred and  seventeen  British,  and  twelve  enemy  prisoners. 
Of  the  total  number  of  patients  admitted,  two  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  ten  had  been  returned  to  duty,  and 
only  eleven  had  died.  The  balance  had  been  transferred 
to  other  hospitals  or  were  still  under  treatment  in  "32." 

August  was  the  last  month  during  which  any  French 
patients  were  admitted  to  the  hospital.  By  this  time  the 
presence  of  American  troops  in  the  fighting  lines  had 
increased  vastly  in  number,  and  it  became  necessary  to 
suspend  existing  hospitalization  arrangements  with  the 
Allies,  and  reserve  American  hospitals  for  American 
soldiers. 

The  Chateau-Thierry  drive,  which  had  flooded  the  hos- 

94 


Fall,  191 8  95 

pital  beyond  its  emergency  capacity  late  in  July,  was  a 
sufficient  warning  of  what  might  be  expected  in  later 
actions.  With  a  view  to  meeting  a  repetition  of  such  an 
emergency,  representatives  of  the  chief  surgeon's  office 
visited  Contrexeville  early  in  September,  and  ordered  the 
emergency  capacity  of  the  hospital  increased  to  two  thou- 
sand one  hundred  and  fifteen  beds.  Two  large  tents  were 
requisitioned  to  be  erected  alongside  Hospital  A  and  used 
as  emergency  surgical  wards.  The  following  table,  taken 
from  an  official  order  issued  at  the  time,  shows  the  emer- 
gency expansion  by  buildings: 

NORMAL  EMERGENCY 

Hospital  A 479  850 

Hospital  B  202  277 

Hospital  C  125  215 

Hospital  D 190  285 

Hospital  E 229  323 

Glass  House 165 

In  order  to  provide  adequate  personnel  to  take  care  of 
the  increased  expansion,  additional  officers  and  enlisted 
men  were  assigned  to  "32"  from  time  to  time  during  Sep- 
tember and  October.  Lieutenants  F.  H.  Murray  and 
Edward  E.  Johnston  were  transferred  to  "32"  early  in 
September,  and  on  October  14th  Captains  J.  D.  Kelly, 
Frank  R.  Teschenor,  H.  H.  Varner,  and  Lieutenants 
Arthur  N.  Altringer  and  Edmund  C.  Mohr  were  as- 
signed to  the  hospital  for  temporary  duty.  Captain  Al- 
phonso  H.  Meyer  was  also  transferred  to  "32." 

The  additional  enlisted  men  attached  to  "32"  for  vary- 
ing periods  of  service  were  as  follows:  John  P.  Johnson, 
Harold  C.  Miller,  E.  N.  Freyschlag,  R.  M.  Bierley, 
J.  H.  Corothers,  Sergeant  L.  G.  Dick,  Louis  Elowsky, 
Owen  Hickey,  R.  H.  Johnes,  Aleck  Kozle,  E.  H.  Lampe, 
J.  K.  Lane,  E.  H.  Lewis,  Harry  Monroe,  C.  J.  Murphy, 
H.   C.   Parker,  J.   E.   Pentrack,   Earl   Persons,   Edward 


96  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Price,  Paul  R.  Rowe,  J.  W.  Senzell,  Cad  Sheets,  An- 
thony Studis,  E.  F.  Sweeney,  J.  R.  Taylor,  D.  D.  Wilson, 
R.  R.  Wittekiend,  Corporal  R.  R.  Wood,  Carl  Auhl, 
H.  J.  Beacht,  W.  L.  Burris,  R.  V.  Cavagnare,  Harry 
Corneau,  Bert  Jones,  Joseph  Kaplan,  Bruce  McDonald, 
Lloyd  Powers,  Walter  Rigdon,  Corporal  L.  J.  St.  Marie, 
H.  G.  Swarthout,  H.  G.  Townes,  Fred  Wells,  and  E.  A. 
Wright. 

The  increase  in  the  hospital's  emergency  capacity  and 
the  assignment  of  additional  personnel  were  amply  justi- 
fied by  subsequent  events.  Convoys  arrived  on  September 
19th,  29th,  30th,  October  ist,  5th,  6th  (two)  and  nth. 
This  last  date  found  the  hospital  buildings  again  crowded 
to  overflowing  and  every  department  occupied  to  capac- 
ity. On  October  i8th  the  number  of  occupied  beds  in 
Hospital  A  reached  seven  hundred  and  eighty-six — the 
highest  number  of  patients  accommodated  in  that  build- 
ing during  its  entire  service. 

In  addition  to  the  immense  number  of  surgical  cases  in 
A  and  B,  the  buildings  of  the  medical  section  were  pro- 
portionately crowded,  partly  as  a  result  of  the  epidemic 
of  influenza  that  prevailed  at  that  time. 

The  figures  for  September  show  two  thousand  three 
hundred  and  nineteen  admissions,  of  which  two  thousand 
two  hundred  and  ninety  were  Americans,  two  British  and 
twenty-seven  enemy  prisoners.  This  was  the  greatest  num- 
ber of  patients  admitted  to  the  hospital  during  any  month 
of  its  history,  although  October  almost  equalled  it  with 
two  thousand  three  hundred  and  one  admissions,  of  which 
all  were  Americans  except  seventy-four  enemy  prisoners. 
Fourteen  patients  died  in  the  hospital  during  September 
and  fifty-seven  during  October. 

The  number  of  patients  returned  to  duty  during  these 
two  months  was  relatively  small.  Only  nine  hundred  and 
seventy-eight  completed  their  convalescence  at  Base  Hos- 


Fall,  191 8  97 

pital  32  and  were  sent  back  to  active  duty.  The  balance, 
with  the  exception  of  those  whose  condition  was  too  seri- 
ous to  allow  moving,  were  transferred  to  other  hospitals. 

Base  Hospital  32  at  this  time  was  functioning  largely 
as  an  evacuation  hospital,  receiving  convoys  directly  from 
field  hospitals,  operating  them  if  necessary,  and  sending 
them  on  as  rapidly  as  possible  to  hospitals  farther  back 
for  convalescence.  As  long  as  any  emergency  existed,  the 
hospitals'  instructions  were  to  evacuate  every  case  that 
could  be  moved,  and  to  maintain  the  greatest  possible 
number  of  vacant  beds  for  subsequent  convoys.  As  a  re- 
sult of  this  policy,  one  thousand  four  hundred  and  seven 
patients  during  September,  and  one  thousand  four  hun- 
dred and  twenty-six  during  October,  received  emergency 
treatment  at  "32"  and  were  transferred  to  other  hospitals 
for  convalescence. 

In  spite  of  the  additions  to  the  personnel,  the  hospital 
force  was  hardly  adequate  during  this  period  of  emer- 
gency. The  influenza  epidemic  was  responsible  for  an 
unusual  amount  of  sickness  in  the  unit,  and  many  of  the 
command  were  off  duty  at  different  times  during  Septem- 
ber and  October  on  that  account. 

In  addition  to  this,  the  gains  in  personnel  mentioned 
above  were  offset  by  a  number  of  losses.  On  September 
26th,  Major  Carleton  B.  McCulloch  (later  Lieutenant- 
Colonel),  who  had  been  on  detached  service  in  charge  of 
Surgical  Team  19,  was  permanently  transferred  to  Mo- 
bile Hospital  II,  of  which  organization  he  assumed  com- 
mand. About  two  weeks  later  Lieutenants  Maxwell, 
Sweet  and  Mehler,  Nurses  Mary  Ferguson,  Nellie  Rock, 
and  Mary  Mangan,  and  Clarence  Reitenour  and  Lowell 
Young  were  also  transferred  to  Mobile  Hospital  11. 

Late  in  September,  Sergeant  George  E.  Magee,  who 
had  been  confined  to  the  hospital  for  some  time  on  ac- 
count of  illness,  was  transferred  to  Base  Hospital  8  for 


98  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

return  to  the  United  States.  Similar  transfers  during 
September  and  October  resulted  in  the  loss  of  the  follow- 
ing: Estelle  Miller  to  Base  Hospital  8,  Harold  Poin- 
dexter  to  Base  Hospital  116,  and  Oliver  Reed  to  U.  S. 
Sanitary  Train  52  to  Bordeaux. 

On  October  nth,  Lieutenant  Pfranklin  was  relieved 
from  further  duty  with  Base  Hospital  32  and  transferred 
to  Camp  Hospital  6r.  He  was  succeeded  as  adjutant  by 
Lieutenant  Hitz.  Lieutenant  C.  C.  Duck,  recently  com- 
missioned, w^as  assigned  to  duty  as  registrar. 

Other  losses  in  personnel  occurred  on  October  7th, 
when  Kenneth  Fisk  was  transferred  to  the  signal  corps; 
on  October  17th,  when  Sergeants  First  Class  Roy  Rich, 
Louis  N.  Ashworth,  and  Sergeants  John  P.  Carroll  and 
J.  E.  Lukens  were  ordered  to  Intermediate  Medical  Sup- 
ply Depot  3  at  Cosne  for  temporary  duty;  on  October 
2 1  St,  when  David  Dean  was  transferred  to  the  Central 
Medical  Department  Laboratory  at  Dijon;  and  on  Octo- 
ber 31st,  when  Earl  M.  Gregory  was  transferred  to  the 
Motor  Transport  Corps,  and  Sergeant,  First  Class,  Harry 
Hollenbeck  was  ordered  to  Surgical  Team  20  on  detached 
service. 

The  transfer  of  Edward  C.  Kahle  from  Base  Hospital 
32  deserves  particular  mention.  During  the  summer 
Kahle,  together  with  Vernon  R.  Corrigan,  applied  for 
transfer  to  the  infantry,  and  on  October  13th  both  of  these 
men  were  transferred  to  the  First  Depot  Division  and 
assigned  to  Company  A,  162nd  Infantry.  It  was  only  a 
few  weeks  later  that  the  entire  unit  was  deeply  shocked 
by  the  news  of  Kahle's  death. 

Edward  C.  Kahle  was  killed  in  the  fighting  in  the 
Argonne  Forest  on  November  i,  191 8,  and  was  buried  in 
the  Argonne  American  Cemetery  at  Romagne,  France. 
The  co-ordinates  of  his  grave  were  given  in  a  letter  from 
Lieutenant  Byron  R.  Calglazier  as  4284949 — X301070. 


Fall,  191 8  99 

Promotions  occurring  during  the  Fall  were  numerous. 
Lieutenant  Moore  was  promoted  to  captain,  and  Cap- 
tains A.  B.  Graham,  John  P.  Herrick,  Chas.  D.  Humes 
and  Lafayette  Page  were  commissioned  majors.  Promo- 
tions in  the  enlisted  personnel  were  as  follows:  To  mas- 
ter hospital  sergeant,  Jennings;  to  hospital  sergeant,  As- 
perger; to  sergeants,  first  class,  Barwise,  Hollenbeck,  Mc- 
Elwayne,  McGiffin,  Brewer,  Hefifner,  McDougall  and 
Reeves;  to  sergeants,  Drake,  Baker,  Campbell,  HoUings- 
worth,  Morgan,  O'Reilly,  Plumb,  Rogers,  Quinn,  Duffy, 
Plough,  Shearer  and  Langan  (mess  sergeant)  ;  to  cor- 
porals, Gaither,  Hemminger,  Parrett,  Bishop,  Hobbs  and 
Matthews;  to  privates,  first  class,  Anderson,  Berger,  Bil- 
timier.  Bowman,  Chapman,  Fehr,  Ferrell,  Fitchett, 
Hunt,  T.  Lanahan,  Larmore,  Kurr,  Logan,  Lounsbury, 
McArdle,  Maugham,  Newkirk,  Russell,  Scovel,  Self, 
Stough,  Watts,  Wise,  Yarling,  Andrews,  Ashe,  Atwood, 
Baldwin,  Bartle,  Blumenthal,  Cantrall,  Daugherty,  Dros- 
dowitz.  Earnest,  Edwards,  Eudaly,  Erdmann,  Gaumer, 
Gilmore,  Hiland,  Hunsdon,  Iverson,  Jericho,  Kroeger, 
C.  J.  Lanahan,  Larimore,  Lindbom,  McLaughlin,  Power, 
Riddell,  Schillerstrom,  M.  Smith,  Wells,  Wesley,  Wool- 
haf,  Walgren  and  Brosnan. 

On  September  29th  the  American  Red  Cross  opened 
the  Nurses  Club  on  the  Rue  Salabery.  For  this  purpose 
the  Villa  Jeanne,  a  three-story  villa  of  ten  rooms,  had 
been  leased  and  appropriately  furnished.  Two  large 
rooms  on  the  first  floor  were  converted  into  a  parlor  and 
music  room,  and  a  well-equipped  kitchen  served  dainty 
luncheons  and  afternoon  tea.  The  rooms  on  the  second 
floor  were  devoted  to  lounging  and  reading  rooms  for  the 
exclusive  use  of  the  nurses.  One  of  the  most  popular  and 
best-equipped  rooms  in  the  house  was  located  on  the  top 
floor.  Among  other  things  its  furnishings  included  a  sew- 
ing machine,  an  electric  iron  and  an  ironing  board. 


loo  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Still  another  of  the  long  list  of  Red  Cross  achievements 
occurred  on  October  14th,  when  the  Red  Cross  Hut,  one 
of  the  finest  of  its  kind  in  France,  was  officially  opened 
to  the  patients  and  personnel  of  the  two  hospitals.  Since 
it  had  been  decided  to  abandon  the  Casino  Theatre  on 
account  of  the  difficulty  of  heating  it  during  the  winter 
months,  the  Red  Cross  Hut  was  designed  to  accommodate 
all  future  entertainments.  The  main  hall  was  one  hun- 
dred feet  long  and  sixty  feet  wide,  with  a  stage  at  one  end 
and  a  sales  canteen  at  the  other.  Mural  decorations 
painted  by  Jay  Connaway  adorned  the  walls.  Smaller 
rooms  back  of  the  stage  were  used  as  dressing  rooms  and 
class  rooms,  while  at  the  other  end  of  the  building,  back 
of  the  sales  canteen,  were  the  kitchen,  storeroom  and  office 
of  the  directress. 

One  of  the  most  noteworthy  entertainments  given  in  the 
Red  Cross  Hut  came  shortly  after  its  opening,  when  the 
enlisted  personnel  of  Base  Hospitals  31  and  32  presented 
their  second  show,  "An  After-Mess  Frolic,"  to  a  large 
and  enthusiastic  audience.  The  committee  in  charge  of 
the  production  included  Paul  R.  Matthews  and  Herman 
Earnest  from  Base  Hospital  32.  Jack  Carroll  was  inter- 
locutor, with  Hallie  Hamilton  and  Bernard  Bradley  as 
end  men.  Special  numbers  by  Harry  Riddell,  Herman 
Earnest  and  Edward  Reeves  were  enthusiastically  re- 
ceived. Others  on  the  program  and  in  the  chorus  were 
C.  R.  Lounsbury,  Harold  Self,  Ben  Gaither,  Wells  An- 
drews, James  Sertell,  Harry  Brown,  Samuel  Hart,  Mar- 
chael  Lyons  and  Luke  Logan.  Base  Hospital  32  was  rep- 
resented in  the  orchestra  by  D.  K.  Jones,  Paul  Bishop, 
Joseph  Dufify  and  Vernon  Sheller. 

The  production  was  so  cleverly  conceived  and  so  well 
presented  that  the  cast  finally  yielded  to  an  insistent  de- 
mand for  a  return  engagement  and  repeated  the  perform- 
ance in  November.   Meanwhile  the  reputation  of  the  pro- 


il().>rilAL  A.  m.-^.MoroLITAX  PALACE  HOTEL 


PERSONNEL  HOSPITAL  A 


Fall,  1918  10/ 

duction  spread  to  other  parts  of  France  and  there  were 
a  number  of  requests  for  out-of-town  engagements.  A 
performance  was  given  at  Langres,  and  other  engage- 
ments would  have  been  filled  if  circumstances  had  not 
prevented. 

Another  organization  whose  entertainments  were  im- 
mensely popular  in  Contrexeville  and  whose  fame  spread 
to  other  parts  of  the  A.  E.  F.  was  the  Contrexeville  Jazz 
Orchestra,  an  eight-piece  orchestra  under  the  direction  of 
Paul  Matthews  of  Base  Hospital  32.  Other  members 
were  D.  K.  Jones,  Lloyd  Gleason  and  Joseph  Dufify  of 
Base  Hospital  32  and  Jesse  Cantor,  Maurice  Robineau, 
Dan  Griffin  and  Walter  Onorato  of  Base  Hospital  31. 
This  organization  played  at  Nancy,  Toul,  Bazoilles, 
Langres,  Neufchateau  and  a  number  of  other  points. 

On  October  30th  the  entire  command  turned  out  to  wit- 
ness the  presentation  of  the  Distinguished  Service  Cross 
to  one  of  the  patients  of  Base  Hospital  32.  The  ceremony 
took  place  on  the  Red  Cross  Athletic  Field  back  of  the 
Cosmopolitain.  The  decoration  was  awarded  Lexie 
Downham  of  Jonesboro,  Indiana,  and  was  presented  by 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Edmund  D.  Clark,  as  commanding 
officer  of  the  hospital.  Sixty  men  from  the  personnel  were 
in  formation  in  three  platoons. 

It  was  on  this  date  also  that  the  following  letter  from 
Lieutenant-Colonel  G.  V.  Rukke,  commanding  officer  of 
the  center,  was  posted  on  the  headquarters'  bulletin  board 
and  in  all  of  the  buildings: 

Headquarters,  Hospital  Center,  A.  P.  O.  732 

October  30,  1918. 

General  Orders  No.  21 

I.  The  commanding  officer  of  the  Hospital  Center, 
A.  P.  O.  732,  wishes  to  express  his  appreciation  of  the 
service  rendered  the  Allied  cause  by  the  members  of  the 


loy.  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

A.  E.  F.  of  this  center  during  the  recent  emergency.  The 
results  obtained  were  highly  gratifying,  and  show  that  the 
realization  of  a  sense  of  duty  has  in  this  center  kept  pace 
with  that  of  the  men  in  the  zone  of  advance.  With  the 
extreme  shortage  of  personnel,  inevitable  during  active 
offensive  operations,  and  this  personnel  depleted  through 
illness,  over  eight  thousand  one  hundred  patients  were 
properly  cared  for  at  one  time,  and  during  a  period  of 
rapid  evacuation  of  the  sick  and  wounded  out  of  this 
center. 

2.  The  spirit  shown  is  what  is  winning  the  war. 

3.  This  order  will  be  published  on  all  bulletin  boards. 
By  order  of  Lt.  Col.  Rukke. 

A.  C.  Calish, 
ist  Lieut.,  San.  Corps,  U.  S.  A., 
Adjutant. 

The  period  just  prior  to  the  armistice  found  the  hos- 
pital experiencing  another  welcome  lull.  Occasional  con- 
voys arrived,  but  as  a  result  of  the  policy  of  rapid  evacua- 
tion, the  number  of  patients  had  been  greatly  reduced. 
The  greatest  possible  number  of  vacant  beds  was  main- 
tained and  the  hospital  waited  in  readiness  for  the  next 
drive,  but  it  never  came. 


MAIN    SLKliKRV,   HOSPITAL   A 


IX 

The  Surgical  and  Medical  Sections 

IT  IS  necessary  here  to  interrupt  the  chronology  of 
events  for  a  few  chapters,  and  to  discuss  briefly  some 
of  the  more  important  phases  of  the  work  of  the  surgical 
and  medical  sections,  and  of  the  various  departments. 

The  Surgical  Section 

Under  the  original  organization  of  the  surgical  service 
of  Base  Hospital  32,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Edmund  D. 
Clark  was  appointed  chief  of  the  surgical  section;  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Carleton  B.  McCulloch,  officer  in  charge 
of  Hospital  A,  and  Major  A.  B.  Graham,  officer  in  charge 
of  Hospital  B.  Following  the  transfer  of  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  McCulloch,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Clark  also  acted 
as  officer  in  charge  of  Hospital  A. 

On  June  15,  1918,  when  Lieutenant-Colonel  Clark  as- 
sumed command  of  the  hospital,  Major  A.  B.  Graham 
succeeded  him  as  chief  of  the  surgical  section  and  officer 
in  charge  of  Hospital  A,  and  Captain  Joseph  W.  Ricketts 
was  appointed  officer  in  charge  of  Hospital  B.  The 
chief,  and  assistant  chief  surgical  nurses  atl  Hospital  A 
\Ntrt  Edna  June  Gray  and  Mayme  C.  Clickner,  respec- 
tively. Miss  Clickner  also  served  as  chief  surgical  nurse 
at  Hospital  B.  Bertha  B.  Mahan  was  head  nurse  at  Hos- 
pital B. 

Miss  Charlotte  Cathcart  was  in  charge  of  the  registra- 
tion of  patients  for  the  surgical  buildings  and  directed 
the  office  work. 

Two  hotel  buildings  constituted  the  surgical  section. 
The  larger  hotel.  Hospital  A,  familiarly  known  as  the 

103 


104  ^  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Cosmopolitain,  with  a  capacity  of  approximately  900 
beds,  received  the  grande  blesse  or  seriously  wounded 
patients.  The  smaller  hotel,  the  Paris,  known  officially 
as  Hospital  B,  with  a  capacity  of  275  beds,  received  the 
petite  blesse  or  those  whose  wounds  were  regarded  as  of 
minor  significance.  With  everything  at  their  command 
for  the  performance  of  good  work,  Base  Hospital  32  did 
not  fall  short  of  the  mark,  and  a  careful  review  of  its 
statistics,  which  is  not  possible  in  this  brief  summary,  will 
prove  the  excellent  work  that  this  organization  accom- 
plished under  the  most  trying  and  abnormal  conditions. 

Surgical  statistics,  as  a  general  rule,  are  of  interest  only 
to  surgeons,  and  even  to  them  they  may  at  times  prove 
somewhat  uninteresting.  However,  to  anyone  who  has 
served  with  a  base  hospital  in  the  advance  war  zone,  it 
matters  not  whether  officer,  private,  nurse,  or  civilian, 
some  general  statistics  of  the  surgical  work  accomplished, 
and  a  short  review  relative  to  the  patients  cared  for, 
should  prove  of  some  interest.  Such  statistics  will  help 
to  recall  not  a  few  interesting  incidents,  and  will  show 
the  gigantic  work  of  which  a  well-organized  base  hos- 
pital is  capable  of  performing. 

The  records  show  that  Base  Hospital  32  received  and 
cared  for  5,719  surgical  patients.  Some  of  these  had 
received  previous  surgical  care  in  the  evacuation  or  field 
hospitals,  while  many  were  admitted  who  had  received 
first-aid  care  only.  There  were  a  few  who  had  received 
no  care  whatever  previous  to  admission  in  the  hospital. 

Of  these  5,719  surgical  patients,  there  were  fifty-eight 
deaths — a  mortality  rate  of  1.14  per  cent.  Of  these  fifty- 
eight  deaths,  ten  were  moribund  when  they  were  removed 
from  the  ambulances.  Nine  died  of  pneumonia  compli- 
cating their  wounds.  These  deaths  all  occurred  in  Hos- 
pital A,  the  surgical  hospital  which  cared  for  the  grande 


The  Surgical  and  Medical  Sections        105 

blesse  or  seriously  wounded  patients.  This  building  cared 
for  4,482  patients.  In  the  smaller  surgical  hospital  which 
received  the  petite  blesse  or  minor  wounds,  it  is  a  remark- 
able incident  and  worthy  of  record  that  1,257  patients 
were  cared  for  without  a  death.  In  private  civilian  work 
not  a  few  of  these  so-called  petite  blesse  cases  would  have 
been  regarded  as  very  serious. 

The  rank  of  the  5,719  surgical  patients  was  as  follows: 

Privates   4,623     Nurses   23 

Non-commissioned  officers      962     Civilians  17 

Commissioned  officers  ...        94  Total      5  719 

It  is  well  to  state  that  in  the  town  of  Contrexeville, 
there  were  no  available  French  physicians.  While  the 
hospital  commandant  had  no  authority  for  so  doing,  no 
French  civilian  was  refused  surgical  care.  The  statistics 
shovv^  that  but  seventeen  civilians  were  admitted  to  the 
surgical  hospital,  but  it  is  no  exaggeration  to  state  that 
several  hundred  French  civilians  received  surgical  atten- 
tion in  Base  Hospital  32.  It  is  exceedingly  unfortunate 
that  no  record  of  these  cases  was  kept,  for  if  they  could 
be  added  to  the  surgical  statistics  of  the  hospital,  the 
number  of  surgical  patients  would  exceed  6,000.  It  was 
a  pleasure  to  care  for  this  most  appreciative  class  of 
patients  who  were  in  distress  and  whose  only  oppor- 
tunity for  relief  was  through  the  hospitals  of  the  United 
States  Army. 

The  surgical  patients  of  Base  Hospital  32  comprised 
thirty-one  nationalities.    They  were  as  follows: 

Americans   4,493  Russians 76 

French   418  Belgians  32 

British    266  Poles 19 

Germans *198  Arabians 17 

Italians 101  Greeks    17 


*Includes  189  enemy  prisoners  of  war. 


io6           A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Austrians 13  Dutch   . 2 

Canadians    13  Roumanians 2 

Swedes   10  Mexicans  

Danes 9  Persians 

Norwegians   9  Australians    

Algerians  3  Syrians  

Finns    3  Portuguese 

Moroccans 2  Armenians 

Serbians    4  Chinese 

Swiss    2  Crotes  


Hungarians   2  ^^^^^ 5  7^9 

Of  the  4,493  American  patients,  every  state  of  the 
United  States  was  represented. 

A  study  of  the  ages  of  the  surgical  patients  is  rather 
interesting.  The  youngest  patient  was  six,  and  the  oldest 
patient  was  sixty-four  years  of  age.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  Base  Hospital  32  cared  for  the  French  civilians 
which  accounts  for  the  extreme  variation  in  ages.  There 
were  three  American  soldiers  whose  ages  were  fifteen, 
and  there  were  several  whose  ages  were  beyond  the  half- 
century  mark. 

Forty-two  per  cent  of  the  patients  were  between  the 
ages  of  twenty-two  and  twenty-four.  Ninety-three  per 
cent  of  the  patients  were  between  the  ages  of  nineteen 
and  thirty-one. 

The  following  is  an  accurate  record  of  the  ages  of  the 
surgical  patients  admitted  to  Base  Hospital  32: 


Age 

Number 

Age 

Number 

Age 

Number 

6 

2 

22 

861 

32 

106 

7 

1 

23 

851 

33 

34 

10 

1 

24 

650 

34 

40 

15 

3 

25 

383 

35 

55 

16 

2 

26 

404 

36 

42 

17 

12 

27 

311 

37 

25 

18 

66 

28 

294 

38 

17 

19 

279 

29 

245 

39 

17 

20 

297 

30 

252 

40 

4 

21 

302 

31  

141 

41  

8 

lARMACY,  HOSPITAL  A 


MEDICAL  SUPPLY  ROOM,  HOSPITAL  A 


The  Surgical  and  Medical  Sections        107 

Age  Number  Age  Number  Age  Number 

42 6  47 1  54 1 

43 11  49 1  60 1 

44 6  52 1  64 1 

45 6  53 1  Total  ...   5,719 

A  review  or  study  of  the  surgical  conditions  cared  for 
is  exceedingly  interesting.  In  numbers  it  will  be  noted 
that  they  exceed  the  number  of  patients  received  by  the 
hospital.  This  is  explained  by  the  fact  that  not  a  few  of 
the  patients  were  suflfering  with  multiple  wounds.  No- 
where are  the  horrors  of  modern  warfare  more  vividly 
portrayed  than  in  a  base  hospital  where  full  opportunity 
is  afforded  for  the  careful  study  and  treatment  of  each 
and  every  patient.  The  following  statistics  of  the  surgical 
patients  treated  in  Base  Hospital  32  are  not  to  be  consid- 
ered absolutely  accurate,  as  they  are  the  diagnoses  taken 
from  the  cards  of  the  patients  upon  admission  to  the  hos- 
pital. Unfortunately  it  is  impossible  to  furnish  accurate 
statistics  of  the  surgical  c.onditions,  diagnosed  and  treated, 
after  these  patients  had  been  under  observation.  How- 
ever, the  statistics  of  the  first  diagnosis,  or  the  diagnosis 
made  at  the  field  or  evacuation  hospital,  are  of  sufficient 
interest  to  warrant  their  publication. 

Gunshot  wounds,  and  this  comprises  bullet,  shell  and 
grenade  wounds,  were  responsible  for  the  majority  of 
our  patients.  The  number  of  patients  and  injury  are  as 
follows : 

Wounds  Number  Wounds  Number 

Axilla    13  Buttock 137 

Head  263  Back    238 

Chest   165  Thigh    627 

Shoulder   346  Leg    675 

Abdomen 103  Foot  365 

Arm  558  Face  215 

Forearm    138  Neck    98 

Hand   640  Knee   162 


io8  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Wounds  Number  Wounds  Number 

Elbow   49  Bladder   3 

Spine   19  Scrotum    14 

Ankle 3S 

Two  hundred  and  forty-seven  patients  were  treated  for 
burns  resulting  from  gas  and  liquid  fire. 

A  summary  of  the  other  surgical  conditions  cared  for 
is  as  follows: 

Trench  feet 67  Appendicitis  78 

Flat  feet 78  Gall  bladder 7 

Sprains  (mostly  ankle) .  . .  182  Kidney 1 

*Nose,  throat  and  ear 338  Amputations   28 

♦Fractures    312  Rectal  operations 90 

*Teeth   45  Dislocations    23 

*Eye    315  Infected  wounds  117 

Hernia  112 

The  Medical  Section 

While  the  average  person  is  more  apt  to  regard  sur- 
gical work  as  the  principal  function  of  a  war  hospital 
the  work  of  the  medical  section  was,  nevertheless,  equally 
important.  In  considering  this  phase  of  the  hospital's 
activity  it  is  well  to  remember  that  in  almost  every  w^ar 
more  soldiers  die  of  disease  than  of  wounds — and  A.  E.  F. 
hospital  statistics  prove  that  this  war  was  no  exception. 

The  medical  work  at  Base  Hospital  32  was  under  the 
direction  of  Major  Bernays  Kennedy,  who  served  as  chief 
of  the  medical  section  from  the  time  the  hospital  opened 
until  after  the  armistice.  Included  on  Major  Kennedy's 
staff  were  Major  John  F.  Herrick,  officer  in  charge  of 
Hospital  C;  Captain  Robert  M.  Moore,  officer  in  charge 
of  Hospital  D,  and  Captain  Frank  M.  Fuller,  officer 
in  charge  of  Hospital  E.  Captain  Leslie  Maxwell  also 
served  for  a  time  as  officer  in  charge  of  Hospital  E.  The 
head  nurses  of  the  three  medical  section  buildings  were: 


♦Incomplete. 


)KTH()PEDIC  CASES,   HOSPITAL  A 


The  Surgical  and  Medical  Sections        109 

Hospital  C,  Eleanor  C.  Ryan;  Hospital  D,  Elizabeth 
Backinger,  and  Hospital  E,  Helen  Biggert.  The  office 
work  and  records  of  patients  for  the  medical  section  were 
in  charge  of  Miss  Gertrude  Stefifen. 

The  medical  service  of  Base  Hospital  32  cared  for  a 
total  of  4,345  patients,  of  whom  3,881  were  members  of 
the  A.  E.  F.  Perhaps  never  before  has  an  army  fighting 
under  one  flag  been  recruited  from  so  many  different 
countries.  Of  the  3,881  patients  of  the  American  Army, 
91  per  cent  were  American  born  and  every  state  but  one 
in  the  union  was  represented. 

Major-General  Bell,  in  a  talk  to  officers  and  nurses  on 
board  the  George  Washington  on  our  way  to  France,  said 
that  of  the  three  requisites  of  a  good  soldier,  the  one  he 
probably  exercised  the  most  was  that  of  always  grum- 
bling. His  words  were  often  recalled  by  the  conversa- 
tions of  convalescing  soldiers  who,  in  lieu  of  grumbling, 
indulged  in  heated  but  amusing  arguments  as  to  the 
relative  merit  and  patriotism  of  their  native  states.  As 
a  court  of  last  appeal  they  would  inquire  at  the  office  of 
the  medical  service  as  to  the  relative  number  of  patients 
the  hospital  had  treated  from  the  states  under  discussion. 
The  champion  of  the  state  showing  the  smallest  number 
of  patients  on  a  given  number  of  pages  in  the  Register 
usually  closed  the  argument  by  declaring  that  the  native 
sons  of  his  particular  state  had  sense  enough  to  keep  their 
heads  down  or  were  good  dodgers.  We  can  only  conclude 
that  the  sons  of  Nevada,  the  only  state  not  represented  in 
the  roster  of  patients  treated  in  the  medical  service,  were 
the  best  dodgers  in  the  whole  A.  E.  F. 

The  other  9  per  cent  of  the  patients  of  the  A.  E.  F. 
represent  thirty-five  countries,  and  of  the  entire  number 
of  these  patients  there  were  only  seven  who  could  not  give 
a  birthplace. 


I  lO 


A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 


For  the  benefit  of  those  who  feel  that  the  honor  and 
patriotism  of  their  native  state  is  at  stake  the  following 
table  is  given: 

Medical  Service — Base  Hospital  32 
A.  E.  F.  Patients 


Alabama  106 

Arkansas    2 

Arizona    36 

California    41 

Colorado    11 

Connecticut   36 

Delaware   1 

District  of  Columbia  7 

Florida   28 

Georgia    89 

Idaho    2 

Illinois    180 

Indiana  272 

Iowa    155 

Kansas  60 

Kentucky  89 

Louisiana   24 

Maine   25 

Maryland   75 

Massachusetts   119 

Michigan   69 

Minnesota    108 

Mississippi  34 

Missouri  138 

Montana 12 

Nebraska  22 

Nevada 

New  Hampshire   ...  26 

New  Jersey    82 

New  Mexico    3 

New  York   409 

North  Carolina   ....  60 

North  Dakota    13 

Ohio   215 

Oklahoma    17 

Oregon   14 

Pennsylvania   379 

Rhode  Island 14 

South  Carolina    ....  78 

South  Dakota    23 

Tennessee    76 


Texas  65 

Utah   14 

Vermont 12 

Virginia   102 

Washington   15 

West  Virginia 56 

Wisconsin    114 

Wyoming   5 

Total  number  born 
in  United  States 

Albania 1 

Argentine  Republic.  1 

Armenia   1 

Austria   6 

Belgium   4 

Bermuda    3 

Bohemia   2 

British  West  Indies.  1 

Canada   19 

Cuba   1 

Denmark    5 

England   15 

Finland 4 

France    1 

Germany    2 

Greece    6 

Hawaii    3 

Holland    3 

Hungary    3 

Italy    118 

Ireland    32 

Mexico    1 

Montenegro 2 

Moravia   1 

Newfoundland    ....  2 

Norway    7 

Poland    14 

Porto  Rico 2 

Portugal   2 


3,533 


The  Surgical  and  Medical  Sections 


1 1 1 


Russia    57  British  patients  ....  12 

Scotland   1 


Sweden  .  . 
Switzerland 
Tunis  .... 
Wales  .... 


French  patients- 
Algeria   1 

Arabia    1 

French    435 

Indo  China 4 

Total  number  for-                               India   1 


eign  born 341  Italy    3 

No    information    of  Senegal 7 

birthplace   7  452 

Total  number  pa-  Total  number  j^a- 

tients,  A.  E.  F.  3,881  tients 4,345 

Unfortunately  the  nativity  of  patients  of  the  French 
army  was  not  given  in  a  good  many  cases,  as  this  was  not 
required  on  the  French  card  of  admission,  so  a  general 
heading  of  France  as  a  birthplace  was  given  to  those 
French  patients.  However,  at  one  time  in  Hospital  E, 
the  Providence,  where  most  of  the  French  patients  were 
cared  for,  eleven  different  nationalities  occupied  one 
ward,  most  of  them  being  soldiers  of  the  colonial  and 
territorial  troops. 

In  making  the  following  classification  of  patients  cared 
for  by  the  medical  service,  the  eighteen  subdivisions  of 
the  sick  and  wounded  report  for  the  A.  E.  F.,  which  were 
followed  by  Base  Hospital  32,  have  been  used.  The  classi- 
fication is  particularly  difficult  for  the  reason  that  many 
diagnoses  were  changed  two,  three,  or  more  times,  as  the 
progress  of  the  disease  advanced  or  as  complications  de- 
veloped of  more  severity  than  the  original  cause  of  admis- 
sion. Practically  every  disease  enumerated  in  the  sick 
and  wounded  report  was  encountered,  and  quite  a  few 
which  the  report  overlooked. 

I — Infectious  and  Epidemic  Diseases 

Diphtheria    6 

-[-emphysema,  ch. ;  pulmonary 1 

+gas    1-       8 


112  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Diphtheria  carrier    2 

Dysentery    18 

+D.  A.  H 

bacillary    

entamoebic    

entamoebic  (secondary  to  iliocolitis) 

Flexner  type 

suspect   ^ 

Influenza 1,020 

+acne  vulgaris 

-j-amputation,      right      foot      (perforating 
wound)     

+angioneurosis ;  +oedema,  right  hand  and 
arm   

+appendicitis,  acute   

-{-arthritis,  acute,  rheumatic 

-{-bronchitis,  acute 

-j-diarrhoea    

-j-dysentery    

-j-enteritis,  acute 

-|-enterocolitis,  acute 

-f flat  foot  

-j-flat  foot,  -|-pyodermia  (abscess,  neck)  . . 

+gas    

-f-gas,  -f-flat  foot 

-|-gonorrhoeal  opthalmia    

-}-G.  S.  W 

-j-hernia ;  femoral,  left 

-j-hernia ;  inguinal,  bilateral 

-j-laryngitis    

-j-mastoiditis,  acute,  left 

-j-mitral  deficiency 

-j-mitral  stenosis 

-j-mumps,  bilateral,  -f orchitis,  left 

-j-nephritis,  acute  

-j-orchitis,  chronic   

-f-otitis  media,  acute,  suppurative,  left 

-j-otitis  media,  chronic,  catarrhal,  bilateral. 

-j-otitis  media,  chronic,  catarrhal,  right.  .  .  . 

-j-otitis  media,  chronic,  suppurative,  bilat- 
eral     

-^perirectal  abscess   

-|-pes  cavus  

-j- pleurisy,  acute,  fibrinous 

-j-psoriasis    

-|-pyodermia    

-j-pyorrhoea    

-j-retinitis,  left   


24 
4 


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The  Surgical  and  Medical  Sections        113 

Influenza — 

-|-rheumatic  fever   1 

-j-scabies    6 

-j-sciatica,  left 1 

-fsyphilis,  tertiary 1 

4-tonsillitis,  acute,  left 2 

-j-tonsillitis,  chronic,  hypertrophic 1 

(observation  for  tuberculosis) 6 — 1,088 

Malaria    13 

(following  influenza)    2 —      15 

Measles    1 —       1 

Meningitis,  meningococcus 3 —       3 

Mumps,  bilateral   21 

-|-bronchitis,  acute 2 

+gas    1 

+influenza    1 

-[-orchitis,  bilateral 1 

-j-orchitis,  unilateral   6 

-i-rheumatism,  muscular 1 

Mumps,  unilateral   9 

-j-orchitis,  unilateral   1 —      43 

Paratyphoid  fever,  Type  A 1 —        1 

Poliomyelitis,  acute,   anterior 1 —        1 

Purulent  infection  ;  septicaemia,  hand,  left 1 —        1 

Rheumatic  fever,  acute 14 

-[-inflammation,  knee,  right 1 —      15 

Scarlet  fever 6 

(following  influenza)    2 

H-G.  S.  W.,  leg,  left 1 

4-nephritis    1 

-[-nephritis,  post-scarlatinal   2 

-j-nephritis,  -|-D.  A.  H.,  post-scarlatinal .. .  1 —      13 

Trench  fever  4 

-f-gastritis,  acute 1 —        5 

Typhoid  fever 9 

( following  influenza)    5 

-f-myostosis    1 

-[-urethritis,  acute,  gonorrhoeal  (old) 1 —      16 

Vincent's  Angina  1 —        1 — 1,241 

II — Tuberculosis 

Larynx,  tuberculosis  of,  chronic 1 —        1 

Pulmonary  tuberculosis    6 

-j-diabetes  mellitis   1 

-[-empyema  (drained)   1 

acute   2 

acute,  miliary    1 


114 


A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 


Pulmonary  tuberculosis — 

chronic   ^ 

chronic,  insipient   ^ 

chronic,  moderately  advanced 2 

suspects   (observation)    6 — 


26—     27 


III — Venereal  Diseases 

Gonococcus  infection 

orchitis,  +gas,  yperite,  contact 

urethritis,  acute 

urethritis,  acute,  +arthritis 

urethritis,  acute,  -f-gas 

Syphilis    

myositis   

neuritis,  sciatica,  left 

-|-tonsillitis,  acute,  catarrhal,  bilateral 

secondary  

tertiary   

tertiary,  cerebrovascular 

tertiary,  cerebrospinal 

tertiary,  cerebral 


IV — General  Diseases 


Alcoholism,  acute 

Anemia    

pernicious    

Arthritis   

hand,  right 

hip,  right 

hip  and  leg,  right 

knee,  right 

legs,  bilateral 

sacro-iliac  joint 

-}-diarrhea    

-fdental  treatment  

-i-flat  foot 

-|-old  operative  pain 

-j-pyrrhoea    

acute   

acute,  ankle,  left 

acute,  ankle,  right 

acute,  hip,  left 

acute,  hip,  left,  +syphilis .  .  . 

acute,  hip,  left,  -[-varicose  veins. 

acute,  knees,  bilateral 

acute,  knee,  right   

acute,  migratory    


—        7 


15—     22 

1 
2 


19 


The  Surgical  and  Medical  Sections        115 


Arthritis — 

acute,  multiple   18 

acute,  multiple,  infectious 1 

acute,  multiple,  +bronchitis,  acute 1 

acute,  muscular    • 4 

acute,  -f-hypertrophied  tonsils   2 

acute,  articular    14 

acute,  articular,  elbow,  right 2 

acute,  articular,  multiple  12 

acute,  articular,  +tonsillitis,  acute,  follicular        4 

chronic,    4 

chronic,  ankle,  left  

chronic,  diffused    

chronic,  foot,  left,  ^complete  deafness,  left 

chronic,  hip,  left 

chronic,  hip,  right 

chronic,  hip,  left,  +urinary  incontinence..  . 

chronic,  knee,  bilateral 

chronic,  knee,  left 

chronic,  multiple   12 

chronic,  multiple   (myocitis)    

chronic,  multiple,  -j-scabies 

chronic,  muscular    

subacute,  articular 

subacute,  ihosacral,  bilateral 

subacute,  multiple 

Diabetes  mellitus  (following  influenza) 

-j-arthritis,  ac,  shoulder,  left 

Drug  habit,  cocaine  poisoning 

Goiter   

+psychoneurosis    

hyperthyroidism,  severe   

Purpura  hemorrhagica 

Toxic  results  of  preventive  therapy — 

Reaction  to  novarsenobenzol 

Serum  sickness 

V — Nervous  Diseases 


Chorea   

Epilepsy  

(observation  for) 

Migraine    

Neuralgia,  cranial  . .  . . 

intercostal    


ovarian   

sciatic    

sciatic,  +lumbar  contracture, 
sciatic,  -[-tonsillitis,  chronic. 


—  147 

—  2 

—  1 


14 


2—    159 


ii6  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Neuralgia,  cranial — 

supraorbital   2 —      24 

Neuritis    1 

arm,  right   1 

suspected  cervical  plexus 1 

sciatic    2 —       5 

Palsey,  arm,  left  (cause  N.  Y.  D.) 1 

face  (cause  N.  Y.  D.)  • 2—       3 

Paralysis,  arm,  left,  traumatic 1 

arm,  right,  functional 1 

facial    2 

paraplegia,  ataxia 1 —        5 

Tabes  dorsalis 2 —       2 —     50 

VI — Mental  Diseases  and  Defects 

Constitutional  psychopathic  state 1 —        1 

Defective  Mental  Development 6 —       6 

Dementia  precox   1 —        1 

Mental  deficiency 7 

+scabies    1 

Mental  and  physical  deficiency 3 —      1 1 

Mental  observation 17 —      17 

Psychoneurosis,  Type  N.  Y.  D 64 

hysteria    11 

neurasthenia    14 

psychasthenia  (syphilitic)   1 

traumatic   1 

war  1—     92 

Psychosis,  Type  N.  Y.  D 2 

alcoholic   6 

hysterical   2 

toxic  (influenza)    1 

manic  depressive ;  dementia 2 —      13 

Neuropsychosis  1 —        1 

Neurosis,  Type  N.  Y.  D 3 

anxiety  4 

cardiac   1 

depressive    1 

hysteria    1 

war  2—      12—    154 

VII — Diseases  of  the  Eye 

Conjunctivitis    4 

-{-hemoptysis    1 

-j-herpes,  4-flat  foot 1 —        6 

Defective  vision   3 —        3 —       9 


I'KRS(  )XXEL  HOSPITAL 


IIOSITIAI.    H.   IIOIKI,   I)K   PARI; 


The  Surgical  and  Medical  Sections        117 

VIII — Diseases  of  the  Ear 

Otitis,  externa,  celumen,  right 1 —        1 

media,  acute,  left 1 

media,  acute,  bilateral 2 

media,  acute,  bilateral,  -{-bronchitis,  acute. .  1 

media,  chronic,  suppurative,  right 1 

media,  chronic  (Bezold's  abscess),  right...  1 —       6 

Deafness    1 —        1 —       8 

IX — Diseases  of  the  Nose 

Deviation  of  nasal  septum 1 —        1 

Epistaxis    1 —        1 

Sinusitis,  frontal,  chronic 2 —       2 —       4 

X — Diseases  of  the  Throat 

Abscess,  peritonsillar,  right 1 —        1 

Hypertrophied  tonsils  1 —        1 

Laryngitis,  acute 6 

acute  (observation  for  tuberculosis) 1 

acute,  catarrhal 1 

chronic   _•  •  •  •  ^ —      ^  ^ 

Pharyngitis,  acute 2 

chronic    1 —       3 

Tonsillitis,  acute 13 

acute,  catarrhal 19 

acute,  catarrhal,  +ankylestomasis 1 

acute,    catarrhal,    +bronchitis,    acute,    ca- 
tarrhal      2 

acute,  catarrhal,  +mumps 1 

acute,  follicular 26 

acute,  follicular,  -^exhaustion 1 

follicular,  -{-lymphadenitis,  cervical,  ch.,  rt.  1 —     64 
chronic,  hypertrophic,  -(-laryngitis,  -|-bron- 

chitis  1—        1—      81 

XI — Circulatory  System 

Diseases  of  the  Heart — 

Angina  pectoris 2 

-|-bronchitis    1 —        3 

Asthma,  cardiac,  chronic 1 —        1 

Cardiac  dilatation  (following  trench  fever)  1 —        1 

Disordered  heart  action 4 

(following  bronchitis)   1 

Tachycardia   8 

paroxysmal    1 


ii8  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Diseases  of  the  Heart,  Disordered  heart  action — 

Arhythmia    1 

(following  influenza)    1 

respiratory,  paroxysmal 1 

toxic,  paroxysmal 1 —      18 

Endocarditis,  acute 1 

acute   (following  influenza) 1 

acute,  mitral  and  aortic 1 

acute,  +rheumatism,  acute 1 

chronic   1 —        5 

Myocarditis,  acute  2 

chronic    2 

chronic  (following  bronchitis) 1 

chronic  (following  influenza) 1 

chronic  (observation  for  exophthalmic 

goiter)    1 —        7 

Valvular  heart  disease 2 

Aortic  insufficiency 2 

Mitral  insufficiency 5 

Mitral    murmur,     +pleuro-pulmonary 

congestion    1 

stenosis,  +rheumatic  fever,  acute 1 —      11 

Diseases  of  the  Blood  Vessels — 

Hemorrhoids   4 

internal  and  external,  +anal  fissure. . .  1 —        5 

Phlebitis,  non-phlegmonous   1 —        1 

Varicose  veins  (following  influenza) 1 —        1 

Varicocele,  left 2 —        2 

Diseases  of  the  Lymphatic  System — 

lymphadenitis,  acute 2 

chronic   1 

cervical  2 

cervical,  +bronchitis,  4-diarrhoea.  .  .  .  1 

cervical,  +gas,  inhalation 1 

-f-gastritis    1 

inguinal    1 

submaxillary,  chronic 1 

suppurative    1 

tubercular,  non-suppurative   1 —      12- 

XII — Diseases  of  Respikatory  System 

Asthma  ^ —       4 

Bronchitis,  acute 177 

acute,  -f  angina    1 

acute,  -j-congestion  of  lungs  (following  gas)  1 

acute,  -[-diarrhoea    1 

acute,  -j-enteritis,  acute,  catarrhal 2 


67 


The  Surgical  and  Medical  Sections        119 

Bronchitis — 

acute,  +epistaxis    1 

acute,  -j-flat  foot 1 

acute,  -j-gas    1 

acute,  -|-G.  S.  W 1 

acute,  -[-hyperacidity    1 

acute,  4-keratitis,  acute   1 

acute,  -j-laryngitis,  acute 1 

acute,  -j-laryngitis,  subacute,  catarrhal 1 

acute,  -j-mitral  insufficiency  (following  gas)  1 
acute,  -f-otitis  media,  chronic,  catarrhal,  bi- 
lateral      1 

acute,  +pediculosis  corporis 1 

acute,  -j- pleurisy,  acute,  fibrinous 1 

acute,  -fpleurisy,  with  effusion ;  right 1 

acute,  -j-urethritis,  acute,  gonorrhoeal 1 

acute,  catarrhal   29 

acute,  catarrhal,  -f-myocarditis,  chronic  (  fol- 
lowing influenza)    1 

acute,  purutent,  bilateral  1 

chronic   32 

chronic, -fD.  A.  H 2 

chronic,  -|-emphysema    4 

chronic,  -f-hemoptysis    1 

chronic,  -|-scabies    1 

chronic,  (observation  for  pulmonary  tuber- 
culosis)       10 

chronic,  catarrhal 2 —    279 

Bronchiectasis   1 —        1 

Broncho-pneumonia   66 

( following  influenza)    67 

(following  influenza),  -j-D.  A.  H 1 

(following  influenza),  -(-empyema   2 

(following  influenza),  -j-G.  S.  W 2 

(following  influenza),  -j-hernia,  inguinal,  bi- 
lateral      1 

(following  influenza),  -(-mastoiditis    1 

(following  influenza),  -(-meningitis     (pneu- 

mococcus)    1 

( following  gas)     4 

(following  gas), -|-G.  S.  W 1 

-(-arthritis    2 

4-diarrhoea    1 

-l-G.  S.  W 2 

-(-hemorrhoids,  -(-epididymitis  ;  right 1 

-j-mumps    1 

-(-nephritis,  acute  (following  exposure) ...  1 

-(-peritoneal  abscess 1 


I20 


A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 


Broncho-pneumonia — 

+pleurisy,  acute  ;  right 1 

-j-pleurisy,  serofibrinous  1 

-(-pleurisy,  serofibrinous  (with  effusion)...  1 

-{-pneumothorax,  -f-^mpyema 1 

-j-purpura  hemorrhagica 1 

-j-typhoid  fever 1 

Type  II,  +gas 1—    162 

Pneumonia,  lobar 34 

(following  influenza)    6 

(following  influenza)    -(-empyema 2 

-(-empyema    2 

-(-empyema,  -(-pneumothorax,  left 1 

(with  effusion)   1 —     46 

Pleurisy,  empyema  (following  influenza) 1 —        1 

Pleurisy    27 

(with  effusion)  3 

acute,  plastic  (following  influenza)...  2 

serofibrinous    12 —      44 

Pleuritic  adhesions 2 

-(-constipation    1 

-{-diarrhoea    1 —       4 

Thickened  pleura  1 —        1 


50—    542 


Diseases  of  Mouth — 
Abscess,  alveolar 
Dental  treatment 


XIII — Digestive 


Diseases  of  Stomach — 

Gastritis,  acute  3 

acute,  -(-infected  feet 

acute,  -(-otitis  media,  chronic 

acute,  -(-neuralgia,  occipital   

acute,  catarrhal   

acute,  catarrhal  (due  to  pyorrhoea)... 

acute,  catarrhal   (due  to  pyorrhoea  al- 
veolaris  and  Vincent's  angina) . . . 

chronic    

chronic,  -{-dyspepsia 

Gastroenteritis,  acute 5 

acute, -(-G.  S.  W 

acute,  -j-mumps  

acute,  -j- renal  colic 


—      54 


The  Surgical  and  Medical  Sections        121 

Diseases  of  Stomach,  Gastroenteritis — 

acute,  catarrhal   6 

acute,  catarrhal,  -]-flat  foot 1 

acute,  catarrhal,  -j-tonsillitis,  acute  ....  1 

acute,  dietetic 1 

acute,  dietetic,  +lymphadenitis, axillary, 

right    1 

chronic    2 

chronic,  catarrhal 2 —      71 

Gastralgia    1 —        1 

Gastric  Ulcer   1 —        1 

127 

Diseases  of  the  Intestines — 

Appendicitis,  acute 3 

acute  (following  influenza) 1 

chronic    3 

chronic,  4-cholecystitis,  ch.,  catarrhal..  1 

post-operative    1 —       9 

Colitis,  acute 5 

chronic   2 —       7 

Constipation    1 —        1 

Diarrhoea,  +scabies   2 

acute   40 

acute,  ^cephalgia    1 

chronic    1 

fermentative    3 —     47 

Enteritis,  acute 48 

acute,  -{-adenitis,  inguinal,  bilateral ....  1 

acute,  -j-arthritis,  multiple    3 

acute,  -j-bronchitis    2 

acute,  -j-concussion,  shell 1 

acute,  4-gonorrhoea   1 

acute,  catarrhal   24 

acute,  catarrhal,  -{-intermittent  scabies.  1 

acute,  dietetic 3 

chronic   4 —      88 

Enterocohtis,  acute 60 

acute,  -|-appendicitis,  chronic       1 

acute,  -[-exhaustion    1 

acute,  -j-gastritis,  acute 1 

acute, -fG.  S.  W 1 

acute,  -{-hemorrhoids    2 

acute,  -{-lumbago    1 

acute,  -j-psoriasis  (cause  N.  Y.  D.) ...  1 

acute,  -j-sprain  of  knee 1 

acute,  catarrhal   8 


122 


A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 


Diseases  of  the  Intestines,  Enterocolitis — 

acute,  dietetic 

subacute   

Hernia    

inguinal,  right 

Iliocolitis,  acute 

acute,  -f-arthritis,  acute,  multiple. 

acute,  dietetic  

acute,  dietetic,  +influenza 

chronic    

Intestinal  adhesions   

-|-autointoxication    

Intestinal  Parasites — 

Ankylostomiasis    

Tapeworm,  saginitta   

Hookworm    

Intestinal  Stasis   

Ulcer  of  duodenum 


5 

3— 
2 
2— 


85 


—       2 


Diseases  of  the  Liver  and  Gall  Bladder — 

Cholecystitis,  acute 7 

acute,  -[-jaundice   9 

acute,  catarrhal 2 — 

Cirrhosis   of   liver,   hyertrophic    (following 

influenza)     1 — 

Congestion  of  liver,  -j-cardio-renal  sclerosis  1 — 

Functional  derangement  of  liver 1 — 


254 


18 


Diseases  of  Spleen — 

Splenic  anemia  (Bante's  disease) 
Peritoneal  abscess   


407 


XIV — Genito-Urinary  ( Non-Venereal) 

Diseases  of  the  Kidneys  and  Annexa — 

Hematuria   2 

-{-renal  stone 1 — 

Nephritis,  albuminuria    3 

albuminuria,  -{-ecthyma,  leg,  right.  ...  1 

acute,    4 

acute  (following  exposure) 1 

chronic    1 

chronic,    -{-gastritis,    acute,    catarrhal 

-{-pyrrhoea  alveolaris)   1 

glucosuria    1 

uremia    1  — 


13 


The  Surgical  and  Medical  Sections        123 


Diseases  of  the  Kidneys  and  Anncxa — 

Pyelitis,  acute 1 — 

Polycystic  degeneration  of  kidneys 1 — 

Diseases  of  the  Bladder — 

Cystitis,  acute 1 

hemorrhagic    1 — 

Urinary  incontinence 4 — 

Diseases  of  the  Urethra — 

Stricture 2 — 

Urethritis   1 — 

Diseases  of  the  Prostate — 

Prostatitis    1 — 

Non- Venereal  Diseases  of  the  Genital  Organs — 

Epididymitis,  acute 1 — 

Orchitis,  acute,  bilateral 3 

acute,  left,  +atrophy  of  testicle,  left.  .  1 

chronic,  right 1 

traumatic  (kicked  by  horse) 1 — 


1 
1 

18 


35 


XV — Diseases  of  Skin 

Acne,  severe,  back  and  chest 1 — 

vulgaris    1 — 

Dermatitis  (cause  N.  Y.  D.) 2 

paputo-macular,  acute 1 

traumatic   3 — 

Eczema  10 

+pomphlox,  chronic   1 — 

Dermo-epidermitis    1 — 

Folliculitis   2 — 

Intertriga    2 — 

Gangrene ;  Raynaud's  disease 1 — 

Herpes  zoster  1 — 

Psoriasis    8 — 

Pyodermia   7 

abscess,  dental 1 

abscess,  foot,  left 2 

abscess,  neck 1 

abscess,  scapula,  right 1 

abscess,  shoulder,  left 1 


124 


A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 


Pyodermia — 

blisters,  heels 

cellulitis    

cellulitis,  infective,  legs,  bilateral 

ecthyma    

furunculosis,  multiple,  +eczema 

furunculosis,  -fadenitis,  -[-cellulitis,  neck. 

impetigo  

impetigo,  contagiosa 

impetigo,  +  furunculosis 

ulcers,  heels,  -|-cellulitis,  legs 

ulcers,  heels,  -j-rheumatism,  chronic 

Scabies   

-)-gastritis    

+G.  S.  W 

-j-internal  hemorrhoids 

-j-mumps   , 

Seborrhoea    

impetigo 

Urticaria,  acute,  +G.  S.  W 

acute,  +nephritis,  acute , 

Skin  eruption  (cause  N.  Y.  D.) 


38 


32 


42 

4 
2 
2 

1- 


115 


XVI — Bones  and  Organs  of  Locomotion 

Diseases  of  the  Bones — 

Periostitis,  foot,  left 1 — 

Diseases  of  the  Joints — 

Arthritis  (see  General  Diseases). 

Synovitis,  acute,  knee,  left 3 

chronic,  knee,  right 1 

subacute,  knee,  left 1 

subacute,  knee,  bilateral 1 

traumatic   1 

Miscellaneous  Diseases  of  Organs  of  Locomotion — 

Flat  foot   10— 

Lumbago,  acute 18 

chronic    1 — 

Metatarsalgia    1 — 

Myositis   1 — 

Sore  feet  1 — 

Tenosynovitis    1 — 

Trench  foot  (open  blisters) 1 — 

Abrasion,  feet 5 — 

Wound,  infected,  suppurating,  foot 2 — 


—        7 


10 


19 


41—     49 


PERSONNEL   HOSPITAL   D 


The  Surgical  and  Medical  Sections        125 


XVII — Malformations,  Ill-Defined  Diseases 

Acquired  Malformations — 

Adhesions,  post-operative 1 — 

Cicatrix,  traumatic,  axilla,  left 1 — 

Contusions,  back,  shell  explosion 5 

multiple,  shell  explosion 1 

scrotum  ;  kick  of  horse 1 — 

Difficulty  in  walking,  old  trauma 1 — 

Shock,  traumatic  (injury  to  back) 1 — 

Spinal  curvature,  +arthritis I — 

Strain,  muscular,  back  (due  to  lifting) ....  1 

Strain,  muscular,  side,  right  (due  to  lifting)  1 


Diseases  Not  Specified  or  Ill-Defined — 

Cyst,  cheek,  left 1 — 

Eneuresis,  traumatic  1 — 

Myalgia,  acute 3 

acute,  -|-bronchitis,  acute 1 

acute,  diffused    1 

acute,  intercostal,  right,  (old  G.  S.  W.)  1 

acute,  interscapular 1 

acute,  lumbar  2 

acute,  multiple 7 

chronic,  back 1 — 

Myasthenia    1 — 

Myolitis,  traumatic 1 — 

Myostosis,  acute 1 

acute,  legs,   -[-arthritis,  multiple    (fol- 
lowing influenza)    1 

acute,  multiple 1 

acute,  spinal 1 — 

Pain,  multiple 1 

muscular    4 — 

Scoliosis,  lateral,  left 1 — 

No  Disease,  Feigned  Disease — 

F.  U.  0 33 

General  physical  debility 3 

Malingering   1 

No  disease  found 1 

N.  Y.  D.  (undiagnosed) 42 

Observation  2 

Reclassification    4 

Transfer  to  surgical  service 9 — 


—       2 


95—    140 


126  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

XVIII — External  Causes 

Concussion  8 

+gas    2 

accidental,  from  fall £ 

by  explosion  17 

shell    43 

shell,  +exhaustion 2 

shell,  4-gas   • 4 

shell,  -{-gonorrhoea,  chronic 1 

shell,  -j-scabies  2 

recurrent    1 —      82 

Dislocation,  wrist,  lifting 1 —        1 

Effect  of  heat  and  cold — 

Sunstroke    1 

BHstered  feet,  from  sun 1 —        2 

Exhaustion    31 

+hysteria 1 

-j-pyodermatitis,  legs 1 

blistered  feet 1 

contusions    1 

dental  condition   1 

diarrhoea   3 

exposure 7 

gas,  mustard  1 

G.  S.  W 1 

nervous    12 

overexertion    16 

overexertion,  +gas,  arsene 3 

overexertion,  exposure  and  immaturity  (15 

years)    •  •  .  • 

(observation  for  pulmonary  tuberculosis)..         1 —      81 

Gas,  N.  Y.  D 273 

N.  Y.  D.,  +concussion,  shell 3 

N.  Y.  D.,  -f-endocarditis,  chronic 

N.  Y.  D.,  -j-fissure,  anus  

N.  Y.  D.,  -j-foreign  body,  hand,  right 

N.  Y.  D.,  -j-gastritis,  acute   

N.  Y.  D.,  -j-goiter,  simple   

N.  Y.  D.,  4-G.  S.  W 

N.  Y.  D.,  -|-hemorrhoids,  internal  

N.  Y.  D.,  -j-hernia,  inguinal,  left 

N.  Y.  D.,  +malaria    

N.  Y.  D.,  -|-sprain,  ankle,  right 

N.  Y.  D.,  -|-trachoma    

N.  Y.  D.,  -j-varicocele    

N.  Y.  D.,  contact  3 

N.  Y.  D.,  contact,  +abscess  under  arm 


The  Surgical  and  Medical  Sections        127 

Gas,  N.  Y.  D.— 

N.  Y.  D.,  contact,    4-ethmoiditis,    +inflam- 

mation,  antrum,  right 1 

N.  Y.  D.,  contact,  4-trench  feet 1 

N.  Y.  D.,  inhalation    150 

N,  Y.  D.,  inhalation,  +enteritis    1 

N.  Y.  D.,  inhalation,  -j-exhaustion   1 

N.  Y.  D.,  inhalation,  +G.  S.  W 2 

N.  Y.  D.,  inhalation,  -j-influenza   1 

N.  Y.  D.,  inhalation,  +talopes  valgus   1 

N.  Y.  D.,  contact  and  inhalation 56 

N.  Y.  D.,  contact  and  inhalation,  +asthma .  1 

arsene   8 

arsene,  4-exhaustion,  overexertion   1 

arsene,  inhalation    3 

arsene,  inhalation,  4-influenza  1 

arsene,  contact  and  inhalation 1 

chlorine    1 

chlorine,  accidental  2 

chlorine,  inhalation   3 

•   Chloro-picrine   6 

lachrymose  1 

mixed   1 

mixed,  contact   7 

mixed,  inhalation    7 

mixed,  contact  and  inhalation 19 

mixed,  contact  and  inhalation,  +exhaustion  1 
mixed,  contact  and  inhalation,  -[-influenza..  1 
mixed,  contact  and  inhalation,  +  neuropsy- 
chosis      1 

mixed,  contact  and  inhalation,  -|-psychoneu- 

rosis    1 

mustard    108 

mustard,  -f  exhaustion  1 

mustard,  -|-G.  S.  W 2 

mustard,  -j-pterygium    1 

mustard,  contact   65 

mustard,  inhalation 50 

mustard,  inhalation,  -|-psychoneurosis 1 

mustard,  contact  and  inhalation 129 

mustard,  contact  and  inhalation,  -f-flat  foot  1 
mustard,  contact  and  inhalation,  -j-hemor- 

rhoids    1 

phosgene    24 

phosgene,  -|-G.  S.  W 1 

phosgene,  inhalation    31 

phosgene,  inhalation,  -|-influenza 1 

phosgene,  inhalation,  -[-hemorrhoids 1 


128  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Gas,  N.  Y.  D.— 

phosgene,  contact  and  inhalation 2 

yperite    6 

yperite,  contact    3 

yperite,  inhalation    1 

yperite,  contact  and  inhalation 19 — 1,049 

Sprains,  ankle 3 

ankle  (iron  falling  on  foot) 1 

knee,  right 1 

ligament,  inguinal,  left 1 

shoulder,  lifting  box 1 —        7 

G.  S.  W.,  arm,  right 2 

back    1 

breast   1 

hand   1 

head    1 

knee,  left  1 

leg,  right 1 

multiple    3 

wrist,  left 1—      12 

Shrapnel,  head 1—        1—1,235 

Grand  total 4,345 

Of  the  4,345  patients  cared  for  by  the  medical  service, 
there  were  only  fifty  deaths,  or  i.o8  per  cent,  of  whom 
forty-nine  were  members  of  the  A.  E.  F.  and  one  a  French 
soldier. 

The  following  table  will  show  what  part  the  Influenza 
epidemic  played  in  the  death  rate  of  the  medical  service: 


Deaths 
Broncho-pneumonia    6 

Broncho-pneumonia,  following  gas  inhalation 3 

Broncho-pneumonia,  following  bronchitis,  acute 2 

Broncho-pneumonia,  following  la  grippe  (French) 1 

Broncho-pneumonia,  following  influenza 22 

Broncho-pneumonia,  following  influenza  and  gas 

Diabetes  mellitus  and  pulmonary  tuberculosis 

Gas  inhalation,  yperite 

Influenza   

Lobar  pneumonia    

Lobar  pneumonia,  following  influenza  3 

Lobar  pneumonia,  with  empyema,  following  influenza 1 


PERSONNEL   HOSPITAL  C 


ISI'ITAL   (  .    I1()1I;L    \)V.   I. a    I'koXIDKXCK   ANNEX 


The  Surgical  and  Medical  Sections        129 


Lobar  pneumonia,  pneumothorax  and  emphysema 

Meningitis,  meningococcus 

Meningitis,  pneumococcus,    following    broncho-pneumonia    fol- 
lowing gas    • 

Nephritis,  acute,  following  broncho-pneumonia 

Nephritis,  acute,  following  influenza 

Typhoid  fever,  following  influenza 

Tuberculosis,  pulmonary,  following  bronchitis,  acute 


Total 


50 


The  following  is  a  table  of  the  rank  of  patients  treated 
in  the  medical  service: 


Captain    12 


First  lieutenant 
Second  lieutenant 

Chaplain 

Nurse  

Civilian  employe  . 


Sergeant 262 

Corporal 411 

Private   3,528 

Y.  M.  C.  A 2 

French  civilian   7 

Total    4,345 


The  age  of  patients  ranged  from  three  years  to  fifty-one 
years,  the  younger  ones  being  French  civilians.  How- 
ever, a  number  of  members  of  the  A.  E.  F.  were  fifteen  to 
eighteen  years  of  age,  and  57  per  cent  were  between  the 
ages  of  twenty-two  and  twenty-six.  The  following  table 
throws  some  interesting  light  on  the  age  of  our  fight- 
ing men: 

Age  of  Patients 


Age 

Mumber 

Ag 

3   (civilian) 

1 

27 

5   (civilian) 

1 

28 

15 

2 

29 

17 

7 

30 

18 

.        36 

31 

19 

.      153 

32 

20 

.      204 

33 

21  

.      224 

34 

22 

.      462 

35 

23 

.      545 

36 

24 

.      473 

37 

25 

.      384 

38 

26 

.      335 

39 

Number        Age 


261 

242 

178 

164 

131 

95 

36 

38 

25 

17 

12 

14 

9 


40 
41 

42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
50 
51 
? 


(French) 


Number 
18 
13 
8 
3 
7 
6 
3 
5 
1 
2 
1 
229 


Total   4,345 


130  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

The  medical  service  was  called  on  to  take  care  of  the 
French  civilians  as  often  there  w^as  no  French  doctor  to 
be  had  in  Contrexeville.  Seven  of  these  w^ere  cared  for 
in  the  hospital  for  pneumonia.  Many  cases  were  treated 
in  their  homes  and  Base  Hospital  32  has  several  obstet- 
rical cases  to  its  credit  among  the  native  civilians. 

The  contagious  cases  were  isolated  in  a  small  brick 
house  of  three  rooms  separated  from  the  hospital  proper, 
where,  under  the  most  inconvenient  circumstances  with 
a  nurse  and  an  orderly  in  attendance,  the  cases  were 
isolated  until  recovery.  Late  in  1918,  a  contagious 
hospital  was  opened  up  at  Vittel  and  all  contagious 
cases  were  sent  there,  after  being  isolated  in  the  little 
brick  house  until  diagnosis  was  positive.  Care  was 
continuously  exercised  to  diagnose  contagious  or  suspi- 
cious cases  immediately  so  that  no  epidemic  might  occur. 
To  this  end,  a  throat  culture  of  every  member  of  the 
personnel  was  made  when  a  case  of  diphtheria  devel- 
oped in  one  of  the  wards  of  Hospital  C.  This  precau- 
tionary measure  disclosed  four  members  of  the  command 
to  be  diphtheria  carriers  and  three  other  members  with 
active  diphtheria  in  the  initial  stages.  The  cases  were 
isolated  and  the  spread  of  the  disease  checked  at  the  onset. 
The  carriers  were  given  antitoxin  until  a  negative  culture 
w^as  obtained  before  they  were  returned  to  duty.  While 
the  task  of  making  hundreds  of  cultures  was  enormous, 
the  medical  service  felt  well  repaid  by  the  results  ob- 
tained. 

On  another  occasion  the  Schick  test  was  made  on  all 
members  of  the  personnel  and  all  showing  a  positive  re- 
action were  treated  with  antitoxin  until  a  negative  test 
resulted.  As  a  result  of  such  constant  vigilance,  there  was 
no  epidemic  in  the  hospital — a  remarkable  fact  consider- 
ing the  crowded  condition  of  the  wards  during  the  sum- 
mer and  fall  of  1918. 


X 

Departments 

Nose,  Throat  and  Ear 

THE  importance  of  the  nose,  throat  and  ear  work  in 
Base  Hospital  32  is  better  appreciated  when  it  is 
realized  that  almost  six  thousand  gas  cases,  or  approxi- 
mately sixty  per  cent  of  the  total  number  of  patients  ad- 
mitted to  the  hospital,  were  treated  and  cared  for  by  this 
department. 

Major  Lafayette  Page,  whose  distinguished  service  in 
the  treatment  of  gas  cases  won  him  recognition  through- 
out the  French  and  Allied  Medical  Service,  as  well  as 
the  A.  E.  F.,  was  officer  in  charge  of  this  department,  as- 
sisted by  Captain  C.  W.  Banner  and  Lieutenant  Albert 
Barr.  The  department  also  included  Dixie  Borders,  Ser- 
geant John  Carroll  and  Jay  Connaway. 

The  examination  and  consultation  rooms  on  the  first 
floor  of  Hospital  A  were  equipped  and  ready  for  service 
by  March  i,  1918.  Owing  to  the  prevailing  epidemic  of 
influenza  in  the  Spring  of  1918,  the  service  in  this  depart- 
ment was  kept  busy  from  the  start,  treating  affections  of 
the  throat  and  bronchial  tubes,  often  involving  the  acces- 
sory sinuses  of  the  nose  and  ear.  Many  operations  for  the 
removal  of  tonsils,  sinus  and  mastoid  operations,  correc- 
tions of  deviated  septa,  etc.,  were  performed  on  the  unit's 
officers,  nurses  and  enlisted  men  while  waiting  to  receive 
patients  from  the  front.  After  patients  began  to  arrive 
from  the  front  there  was  an  increasing  demand  for  ex- 
aminations of  throat  and  ear  cases.  It  was  soon  realized 
what  a  handicap  the  soldier  suffered  who  had  diseased 
tonsils  and  had  to  undergo  the  exposure  of  trench  warfare. 
Infections  of  the  throat  involving  the  ear  and  accessory 

131 


132  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

sinuses  of  the  nose  and  frequently  causing  heart,  kidney 
and  rheumatic  afifections,  kept  up  a  constant  stream  from 
the  front  to  the  base  hospitals  of  this  class  of  patients. 
During  the  months  of  May  and  June,  1918,  large  num- 
bers of  patients  were  brought  in  suffering  from  suppura- 
tive otitis  media.  The  majority  of  these  patients  gave  a 
history  of  tonsillar  disease  and  discharging  ears  during 
childhood  which  had  been  quiescent  for  years  until  ex- 
posed in  the  trenches  to  dampness  or  shell  fire.  These 
cases  all  had  to  be  examined  very  carefully  as  well  as  the 
non-suppurative  cases  of  ear  disease.  A  large  number  of 
so-called  "shell  shock"  cases  with  apparent  total  deafness 
without  any  visible  lesion  had  to  be  differentiated  from 
the  malingerers.  These  cases  required  most  elaborate  ex- 
aminations to  detect  the  frauds  who  were  trying  to  evade 
duty.  The  department's  service  in  treating  this  class  of 
patients  and  getting  them  back  to  the  lines,  and  detecting 
the  malingerers  was  often  complimented  by  the  general 
consultant.  Colonel  McKernan. 

One  of  the  most  important  and  arduous  duties  of  the 
throat  and  ear  service  throughout  the  war,  after  the  intro- 
duction of  poison  gases  by  the  enemy  on  April  22,  1915, 
was  the  treatment  of  gas  burns  of  the  respiratory  tract. 
The  Allied  Medical  Service  was  completely  over- 
whelmed for  a  time  by  the  great  number  of  casualties 
and  without  knowledge  or  means  of  proper  treatment. 
When  Base  Hospital  32  received  its  first  convoy  of  gas 
patients  in  March,  1918,  the  only  treatment  developed  by 
the  Allied  Medical  Service  which  was  regarded  of  value 
was  the  use  of  oxygen  and  watery  alkaline  sprays  for  the 
nose  and  throat.  As  there  was  not  an  oxygen  tank  in  the 
hospital  center,  we  naturally  had  to  resort  to  other  treat- 
ment. At  this  time,  March,  1918,  the  enemy  was  using 
mixed  gases,  thrown  over  with  shells  from  trench  mortars 
and  heavy  artillery.  The  attack  usually  began  with  gases 


EVE   DEPARTMENT,   HOSPITAL  A 


Departments 


33 


which  produced  excessive  sneezing  and  filled  the  eyes 
with  tears,  these  being  followed  by  the  more  poisonous 
gases,  mustard  and  phosgene.  From  March,  1918,  to 
November  nth,  the  close  of  hostilities,  Base  Hospital  32 
had  six  thousand  gas  cases,  including  every  variety  of  gas 
poisoning  from  the  slightest  intoxication  to  the  most  vio- 
lent and  destructive  forms  of  poisoning.  Twenty-eight 
hundred  of  this  number  were  of  the  more  serious  nature. 
Many  patients  died  en  route  in  the  ambulances,  on  whom 
postmortems  were  made  and  the  findings  noted.  Excel- 
lent water  color  sketches  were  made  by  J.  Connaway  of 
the  postmortem  appearance  of  the  respiratory  tract  and 
lungs,  illustrating  the  destructive  effects  of  the  gases  on 
these  organs. 

The  greater  number  of  fatalities  was  due  to  the  effects 
of  phosgene  and  mustard  gas  on  the  respiratory  tract  and 
lungs,  although  the  latter  produced  most  persistent  and 
painful  burns  of  skin  and  eyes.  Hospital  attendants  were 
often  painfully  burned  by  contact  with  clothing  or 
blankets  which  had  been  exposed  to  mustard  gas. 

The  first  convoy  of  gassed  patients  was  received  at 
5  p.  m.,  March  23,  1918.  These  patients  were  principally 
from  Companies  K  and  M,  165th  Infantry,  42nd  Division 
(Rainbow),  and  were  gassed  in  the  Loraine  Woods  near 
Luneville,  American  Sector,  Wednesday  and  Thursday, 
March  20  and  21,  1918.  No  one  had  ever  witnessed  such 
suffering  and  distress  as  these  patients  manifested.  With 
skin  burned  and  discolored,  eyes  swollen  shut,  spasms  of 
choking,  vomiting  and  struggling  for  breath,  with  lungs 
literally  drowned  with  their  own  lung  secretions,  they 
writhed  in  pain  until  they  became  unconscious  for  want 
of  oxygen.  The  first  severe  effects  of  the  gas  were  usually 
felt  in  the  eyes  at  varying  intervals  of  from  one  to  three 
hours  after  the  attack.  The  respiratory  effects  developed 
very  much  later,  extending  from  a  few  hours  to  several 


134  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

days  after  the  attack,  excepting  in  those  cases  exposed  to 
a  high  degree  of  gas  concentration,  in  which  death  took 
place  at  once.  The  eyes  were  usually  swollen  shut  and 
pouring  out  large  quantities  of  secretion,  associated  with 
burning  pain  and  intolerance  of  light.  Nausea,  retching 
and  vomiting  with  pain  and  oppression  over  the  chest 
were  among  the  earliest  and  most  persistent  symptoms, 
followed  later  by  coughing  and  spasms  of  the  glottis,  with 
excessive  discharge  of  frothing  mucus,  often  mixed  with 
blood.  It  is  the  rapid  accumulation  of  this  fluid  in  the 
lungs  which  constitutes  the  immediate  danger  to  life, 
since  it  interferes  with  the  respiratory  exchange  in  the 
lungs  and  leads  to  severe  want  of  oxygen,  which  is  indi- 
cated either  by  deep  cyanosis  or  by  pallor  and  collapse. 
The  deeply  cyanosed  or  leaden-colored  face,  the  quick- 
ened respiration  and  rapid  pulse,  the  restlessness,  the  con- 
stant and  spasmodic  efforts  to  expel  the  profuse,  frothy 
expectoration,  was  the  usual  clinical  picture  during  the 
first  two  or  three  days.  After  that  came  the  secondary 
stage,  when  the  extensive  burns  in  the  throat,  bronchial 
tubes  and  lungs  became  infected  and  began  to  suppurate. 
As  the  necrotic  process  advanced,  large  quantities  of  exu- 
date, consisting  of  broken-down  tissues,  tube  casts,  green- 
ish-gray masses  of  membrane,  and  sometimes  necrotic 
lung  tissue,  were  thrown  ofif  in  the  bronchial  discharge. 
During  this  stage  the  breath  was  very  foul  from  the  gan- 
grenous discharges,  and  the  patient,  utterly  exhausted 
from  the  absorption  of  poison  and  the  constant  spasmodic 
and  ineffectual  efforts  through  coughing  to  expel  the  ac- 
cumulated slough,  would  lapse  into  a  semi-conscious 
state.  It  happened  more  than  once  that  there  were  several 
hundred  of  these  cases  of  more  serious  forms  of  gas  poi- 
soning grouped  together  in  the  hospital  wards  at  one  time, 
and  not  being  able  to  use  any  form  of  opiates  for  relief  of 


DepartmExNTS  135 

their  terrible  distress,  lest  the  end  be  hastened,  the  re- 
sources in  the  face  of  such  suffering  were  very  limited. 

At  this  time  the  Allies  had  not  developed  any  treatment 
for  the  effects  of  poison  gases  in  the  respiratory  tract 
which  was  satisfactory.  Oxygen  was  used  to  meet  certain 
indications,  but  there  was  not  a  single  oxygen  tank  in  that 
hospital  center  during  the  early  months  of  our  service. 
Apparently  alkaline  antiseptic  washes,  which  were  rec- 
ommended, increased  the  suppuration  and  aggravated  the 
patients'  condition.  The  hospital  was  at  liberty  to  insti- 
tute any  treatment  that  promised  relief,  so  the  combined 
force  of  physicians  and  nurses  worked  night  and  day  and 
gave  their  best  efforts  to  help  these  poor  fellows  in  any 
way  they  could. 

The  first  object  was  to  relieve  the  exhausting  spasms  of 
ineffective  cough  without  the  use  of  opiates,  and  next  to 
obtain  better  drainage  of  the  lungs  and  respiratory  tract 
and  thus  facilitate  the  healing  process.  For  these  pur- 
poses it  v/as  found  that  intra-tracheal  medication  was  the 
most  effective.  The  medication  in  oil  solution  was  intro- 
duced with  a  tracheal  syringe  during  inspiration,  when 
the  glottis  is  open.  Assistants  could  easily  be  trained  for 
the  trick  of  introducing  the  syringe  and  administering  the 
medicated  oils  to  the  treachea  and  smaller  bronchi.  In  some 
cases  peculiarly  sensitive  to  any  kind  of  throat  medication 
it  was  at  first  necessary  to  sponge  the  pharynx  with  a  two 
to  four  per  cent  solution  of  cocaine  before  introducing 
the  syringe.  The  principal  solutions  used  were  of  guiacol, 
camphor,  menthol  in  alboline  or  olive  oil,  five  per  cent  of 
each,  through  the  early  stages.  Antipyrine  in  the  same 
proportion  was  used  when  the  spasms  were  excessive. 
Applications  through  the  bronchoscope  to  the  ulcerating 
surfaces,  of  silver  nitrate  or  argyrol,  were  used  effectively 
in  some  of  the  very  chronic  cases. 


136  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

When  the  oil  solution  reached  the  deeper  bronchi,  the 
first  effect  was  to  produce  a  cough  which  expelled  the 
contents  of  the  trachea  and  bronchi,  often  consisting  of 
large  casts,  the  products  of  inflammation  and  suppuration 
which  had  accumulated  in  the  trachea  and  smaller  bron- 
chi and  which  previous  efforts  at  coughing  had  not  been 
sufficient  to  expel.  After  these  injections  the  cough  lasted 
only  a  few  seconds,  the  patient  then  experiencing  a  sense 
of  relief  and  general  comfort  throughout  the  lungs. 
Easier  breathing  and  better  oxygenation  were  at  once 
noticeable  as  well  as  a  diminution  of  the  general  toxic 
symptoms,  and  following  the  treatment  came  more  restful 
sleep  and  rest  of  the  respiratory  organs.  The  natural 
drainage  of  the  lungs  and  bronchial  tubes  was  facilitated 
by  the  oil  solution  through  contraction  of  the  swollen 
membranes  from  the  camphor-menthol,  while  the  guiacol 
acted  as  a  local  antiseptic  and  anesthetic.  Without  excep- 
tion these  patients  expressed  themselves  as  receiving  great 
relief  and  when  suffering  requested  the  treatment. 

The  patients  who  received  this  treatment  usually  made 
a  rapid  recovery  and  many  of  them  were  able,  considering 
the  damage  to  the  respiratory  tract,  to  return  to  the  lines 
in  a  surprisingly  short  time. 

The  results  were  so  encouraging  in  Base  Hospital  32 
that  the  treatment  was  recommended  in  the  official  bulle- 
tins of  the  Allied  Gas  Service  in  April,  1918,  and  adopted 
in  many  of  the  other  base  hospitals  of  the  A.  E.  F. 

In  this  connection  the  official  history  of  the  Indian- 
apolis Chapter  of  the  American  Red  Cross*  is  quoted  as 
follows: 

The  work  of  Lilly  Base  Hospital  in  this  field  attracted 
attention  throughout  the  Allied  armies.  It  was  an  impor- 
tant contribution  to  the  cause  of  medicine  in  the  war,  and 


*A  Red  Cross  Chapter  at  Work,  liy  Marie  Ct-cile  and  Ansletn  (Jliomcl. 


Departments  137 

will,  it  is  thought,  be  of  great  value  in  the  treatment  of 
bronchial  trouble  in  civil  life.  Other  hospitals,  Johns 
Hopkins  among  them,  sent  members  of  their  staffs  to  "32" 
to  observe  the  method  of  treatment,  which  was  widely 
copied  in  our  own  and  English  hospitals  and  became,  in 
fact,  the  standard  in  the  A.  E.  P.,  being  set  out  in  a  bul- 
letin by  Colonel  H.  L.  Gilchrist,  medical  director  of  gas 
service  in  the  A.  E.  F.,  side  by  side  with  a  report  of  the 
Chemical  Warfare  Medical  Committee  issued  by  the 
Medical  Research  Committee  of  the  British  Army,  and 
a  report  of  observation  in  gas  cases  by  the  heads  of  the 
British  and  French  gas  services. 

X-Ray 

The  X-Ray  Department  of  Base  Hospital  32  was  under 
the  direction  of  Lieutenant  Raymond  C.  Beeler,  assisted 
by  Lieutenant  Ralph  L.  Lochry.  The  enlisted  personnel 
assigned  to  this  department  were  Sergeant  George  E. 
Magee,  and  Charles  S.  Stough,  Walker  Marshall  and 
Leslie  Summers. 

The  original  X-Ray  equipment  of  Base  Hospital  32 
was  the  best  and  most  complete  that  could  be  bought.  It 
was  larger  than  the  average  and  comprised  everything 
that  is  used  in  the  modern  X-Ray  department  of  the  better 
hospitals  in  the  United  States.  The  transformer  was  of 
the  large  auto  transformer  type,  approved  by  the  sur- 
geon general's  office,  and  there  was  a  large  fluoroscopic 
table  with  tube  stand  attached  for  roentgenographic  work 
of  any  kind. 

A  large  stereoscopic  plate  changing  tunnel  made  chest 
work  very  easy  and  rapid,  and  an  erect  fluoroscope  made 
it  possible  to  study  stomachs  and  chests  in  the  upright 
position.  This  apparatus  was  more  than  the  average  for 
a  five  hundred  bed  hospital,  and  went  to  form  a  large 
nucleus  of  the  equipment  when  the  hospital  became  of 


138  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

two  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  bed  capacity.  To  the 
original  equipment  were  added  two  U.  S.  Army  Bedside 
units,  Radiator  type  Coolidge  tube,  a  standard  trans- 
former, combination  table  with  accessories,  and  numerous 
smaller  appliances  used  in  localization  of  foreign  bodies. 
Some  of  the  later  equipment  was  brought  over  by  the 
Iowa  Unit,  and  it  was  this  outfit  that  made  an  X-Ray  de- 
partment possible  in  Hospital  E  of  the  medical  section. 

The  main  room  of  the  X-Ray  department  was  located 
on  the  first  etage  of  Hospital  A,  the  Cosmopolitain.  It 
was  a  large,  high-ceilinged  room,  conveniently  located 
near  the  surgeries  and  dressing  rooms,  and  alifording  am- 
ple space  to  accommodate  the  department  even  during 
the  rush  times.  Another  room  farther  back,  on  the  same 
floor  was  used  as  an  office  and  plate  room. 

The  installation  of  the  equipment  required  several 
weeks  and  entailed  a  number  of  difficulties.  The  most 
serious  obstable  that  was  confronted  was  the  wrong  type 
of  electric  current.  In  order  that  the  current  might  be 
adapted  to  the  equipment,  it  was  necessary  to  procure  a 
large  rotary  converter.  The  department  was  fortunate 
here  in  having  a  friend  in  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hickey  in 
charge  of  X-Ray  supplies  in  the  A.  E.  F.,  and  after  a 
number  of  requisitions,  backed  up  by  personal  letters,  a 
suitable  converter  was  procured. 

Shortly  after  the  converter  arrived  it  was  discovered 
that  it  would  be  necessary  to  run  a  new  electric  line  from 
the  power  plant  to  the  X-Ray  rooms.  The  power  plant 
was  a  small  one  with  storage  batteries  supplying  the  town 
and  the  hotel  buildings,  and  was  later  taken  over  and 
operated  by  the  United  States  Army.  As  soon  as  the  new 
line  was  connected  Sergeant  Magee,  with  the  aid  of  a 
number  of  other  enlisted  men  acting  in  the  capacity  of 
electricians,  carpenters  and  plumbers,  began  the  work  of 


Departmexts  139 

installation.  Sergeant  Magee,  an  expert  X-Ray  techni- 
cian in  civil  life,  effected  a  type  of  installation  that  dif- 
fered radically  from  any  other  X-Ray  installation  in  the 
A.  E.  F.  at  that  time.  This  arrangement  proved  to  be  so 
highly  satisfactory  and  so  efficient  that  it  was  afterward 
copied  by  experts  from  headquarters  and  reproduced  in 
other  hospitals. 

During  the  absence  of  Lieutenant  Beeler,  while  on  de- 
tached service  at  Base  Hospital  15  at  Chaumont,  the  in- 
stallation work  progressed  under  the  direction  of  Lieu- 
tenant Lochry.  Following  the  return  of  Lieutenant 
Beeler,  Lieutenant  Lochry  was  ordered  away  with  a  sur- 
gical team,  and  was  eventually  transferred  to  Liverpool, 
where  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  X-Ray  department 
of  A.  R.  C.  Hospital  4.  During  Magee's  illness,  and  after 
his  transfer,  Leslie  Summers  assisted  largely  in  the  tech- 
nical work.  It  was  Summers,  also,  who  made  the  X-Ray 
tables  and  accessories  which  were  so  badly  needed  later  to 
take  care  of  the  increased  number  of  wounded,  and  which 
could  not  have  been  obtained  from  any  other  source. 

The  work  of  the  X-Ray  department,  following  the  ar- 
rival of  a  large  convoy,  was  of  unusual  importance,  as 
practically  every  surgical  case  was  examined.  When  the 
convoys  arrived,  the  patients  were  first  given  nourish- 
ment and  were  then  started  through  the  X-Ray  room. 
The  most  serious  cases  were  taken  first,  and  their  wounds 
searched  for  foreign  bodies.  The  skin  was  marked  wher- 
ever any  such  foreign  bodies  were  located,  and  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  number,  size,  kind  and  depth  of  the  foreign 
bodies  dictated  to  one  of  the  men,  generally  Marshall. 
Marshall  became  very  speedy  at  this,  and  both  he  and 
Summers  assisted  in  the  localization  at  times,  relieving 
Lieutenant  Beeler  whenever  he  was  called  out  to  the  sur- 
geries. 


140  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

As  the  Allied  drive  developed,  the  department  was 
soon  handling  large  numbers  of  wounded  with  remark- 
able dispatch.  Lieutenant  Beeler's  localizations  became 
so  accurate  as  to  excite  the  admiration  of  all  of  the  sur- 
geons, and  the  department  was  able  to  maintain  a  speed 
sufficient  to  feed  all  the  surgical  tables.  Fractures  were 
also  found  and  if  necessary  X-Ray  plates  were  made  and 
sent  to  the  dark  room,  where  Stough  would  develop  them 
and  be  ready  to  report  in  ten  minutes.  This  was  the  usual 
procedure  during  rush  times. 

When  the  last  patient  in  the  convoy  had  been  localized, 
the  department  would  get  back  to  the  regular  routine 
work  of  making  chest,  sinus,  stomach,  and  other  examina- 
tions. Fracture  cases  were  adjusted  under  the  fluoroscope. 
Patients  that  were  not  able  to  be  moved  from  their  beds 
were  examined  with  the  U.  S.  Army  Bedside  X-Ray  ma- 
chine. All  these  sorts  of  examinations  were  made  between 
convoys,  and  rarely  was  the  department  without  work. 

According  to  the  records  of  Base  Hospital  32,  more 
than  half  of  the  patients  admitted  to  the  hospital  received 
X-Ray  examinations.  Similar  figures  prevailed  in  almost 
every  American  hospital  in  France,  and  statistics  show 
that  fifty-four  per  cent  of  the  sick  and  wounded  in  the 
A.  E.  F.  were  examined  by  the  X-Ray.  The  value  of  the 
X-Ray  was  never  entirely  realized  until  the  war.  With- 
out it,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  mortality  in  war  surgery 
would  have  been  double. 

Ajiesthesia 

No  other  hospital  in  France  made  as  great  progress  in 
practical  anesthesia  as  Base  Hospital  32  and  the  Vittel 
Hospital  Center.  As  with  the  entire  A.  E.  F.,  ether  was 
the  anesthetic  of  choice  in  "32."  Chloroform  was  used  to 
a  great  extent  by  the  British  and  French,  but  the  Amer- 


LIEUTENANT   BEELER  WITH   A   DELEGATION   OF   FRENCH   OFFICERS 
INSPECTING  THE  X-RAV   DEPARTMENT 


N  KAN    i)i:i'.\u  I  .\ii:.\r.  nosni  al  a 


Departments  141 

leans,  with  their  knowledge  of  its  dangers,  used  but  little 
of  it.  There  was  a  time  when  good  ether  was  unavailable 
in  France,  and  chloroform  was  used  to  an  extent  then, 
but  not  with  the  official  sanction  of  the  general  medical 
stafif. 

As  there  were  not  enough  medical  officers  to  take  care 
of  the  anesthetic  work,  most  of  this  was  done  by  nurses 
and  hospital  orderlies  under  the  instruction  of  a  medical 
anesthetist.  Captain  Arthur  E.  Guedel,  M.  C,  U.  S.  A., 
was  in  charge  at  Base  32,  with  Margaret  Henke,  Sarah 
Greenhalgh,  Hazel  Alkire,  and  other  nurses  as  regular 
assistants.  In  rush  periods  medical  officers  on  duty  else- 
where in  the  hospital  would  assist  with  the  work. 

It  was  in  Base  Hospital  32  and  the  Vittel  Medical  Cen- 
ter that  a  combination  of  ethyl  chloride,  chloroform 
and  ether,  administered  under  a  closed  hood,  was  de- 
veloped for  all  short  operations  and  general  induction  of 
all  ether  anesthesias.  The  idea  of  this  method  was  copied 
from  the  French,  who  used  the  same  anesthetic  agents  in 
slightly  difrerent  proportions  for  short  anesthesias — it  be- 
ing left  to  the  Americans  to  apply  the  time-saving  prin- 
cipal for  the  induction  of  ether  narcosis.  Whereas  with 
straight  ether  the  induction  of  ether  was  from  ten  to 
twenty  minutes,  with  this  combination  and  method,  this 
induction  time  was  reduced  to  from  one  to  two  minutes. 
After  a  study  of  its  efifects  in  two  thousand  cases  in  the 
Vittel  Center,  the  method  was  presented  to  General 
Headquarters  and  was  accepted,  although  not  officially 
adopted,  for  the  entire  A.  E.  F.  This,  however,  was  but 
two  months  prior  to  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  and  there 
was  not  time  to  place  it  in  all  hospitals.  It  was  used  in 
some  forty  thousand  cases,  as  nearly  as  can  be  reckoned, 
and  the  total  time  saving  is  almost  incalculable. 

Nitrous  oxide  and  oxygen,   in  combination,  was   the 


142  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

anesthetic  of  choice  officially  adopted  by  the  General 
Medical  Stafif,  but  its  general  application  failed  for  two 
reasons.  First,  there  was  a  great  shortage  of  apparatus 
for  its  administration,  each  hospital  having  but  one  ma- 
chine, and  many  of  these  not  delivered  until  late  in  the 
war.  Secondly,  the  technique  of  its  proper  administration 
was  a  thing  too  difficult  to  teach  in  any  short  period  of 
time.  It  is  probably  true  that  in  the  consideration  of 
the  adoption  of  this  method,  the  General  Medical  Stafif 
was  misinformed  on  this  question  of  technique  by  some 
enthusiasts  who  knew  but  little  about  it.  Nitrous  oxide 
and  oxygen,  theoretically,  is  the  anesthetic  par  excellence 
for  all  general  work,  but  its  difficulty  of  proper  adminis- 
tration rendered  it  of  little  value  in  war  surgery  in 
France.  Some  hospitals  had  anesthetists  who  were  quali- 
fied to  handle  it,  but  these  were  by  no  means  sufficient  to 
cover  even  one-tenth  of  the  anesthesias  administered. 
Therefore,  the  final  general  method  of  choice  during  the 
rush  period  and  just  before  the  armistice  was  signed  was 
ether  by  the  open  drop  method,  the  induction  being  ac- 
complished with  closed  administration  of  erhyi  chloride, 
chloroform  and  ether. 

In  Base  Hospital  32  there  was  developed  another  nov- 
elty in  anesthesia  which  was  a  general  improvement  over 
previous  methods.  This  was  the  adaptation  of  an  auscul- 
tation tube  to  a  simple  apparatus  for  the  par  nasal  intra- 
pharyngeal  administration  of  ether.  This  auscultatory 
tube  aided  in  the  determination  of  the  degree  of  anethesia 
present  in  any  case  without  necessitating  the  close  inspec- 
tion of  the  face  of  the  patient,  which,  in  head  surgery,  is 
usually  well  covered  by  sterile  draperies,  and  inaccesssible 
without  disturbing  the  field  of  operation.  This  apparatus 
and  method  also  disproved  the  old  idea  that  for  intra- 
pharyngeal  anesthesia  it  was  necessary  to  blow  the  ether 


Departaiexts  143 

vapor  into  the  pharynx  with  a  bellows  or  motor  blower.  It 
was  found  that  with  the  intra-nasal  tubes  in  place,  the  pa- 
tient, through  the  process  of  his  natural  respiration,  would 
aspirate  a  vapor  of  ample  concentration  and  volume  to 
maintain  proper  anesthesia  in  all  cases.  Inasmuch  as  the 
blower  part  of  any  apparatus  for  intra-pharyngeal  anes- 
thesia is  the  most  complicated  and  expensive — and  in 
France  the  least  available — part  of  the  apparatus,  the 
discovery  of  this  principal  of  vapor  aspiration  simplified 
matters  considerably  for  head  surgery  anesthesia.  This 
method  is  now  being  carried  on  in  civil  practice  in 
America. 

Both  the  ethyl  chloride,  chloroform  and  ether  rapid 
induction,  and  the  auscultatory,  vapor  aspiration  meth- 
ods have  been  published  in  the  American  Journal  of  Sur- 
gery by  Dr.  Guedel,  the  former  under  date  of  April, 
1919,  and  the  latter  the  same  year. 


XI 

Departments  (Continued) 

Laboratories 

THE  Central  Laboratory  at  Contrexeville,  which 
served  both  Base  Hospitals  31  and  32,  was  organ- 
ized in  April,  1918,  and  was  located  in  the  Harmand 
Hotel,  Hospital  No.  3  of  Base  Hospital  31.  Seven  rooms 
on  the  second  floor  of  this  building  were  given  over  for 
laboratory  purposes.  Suitable  plumbing  was  installed  and 
equipment  was  furnished  from  the  laboratory  supplies  of 
both  organizations.  A  mortuary  was  established  in  the 
basement  of  the  Hotel  Harmand  Annex. 

It  was  expected  that  the  Central  Laboratory  would  do 
all  serology,  bacteriology  and  pathology,  as  well  as  some 
clinical  tests.  For  the  convenience  of  the  different  hos- 
pital staffs,  however,  small  subsidiary  laboratories  were 
established  in  the  Cosmopolitain,  Providence,  Royal,  Con- 
tinental, Harmand  and  the  Martin  Aine. 

The  Central  Laboratory  staff  as  originally  designated 
was  as  follows:  Lieutenant  Scott  R.  Edwards,  officer  in 
charge  and  serology;  Lieutenant  David  R.  Farley,  wound 
bacteriology;  Lieutenant  Elmer  Funkhouser,  autopsies 
and  microscopic  pathology;  Lieutenant  Walden  E. 
Muns,  general  bacteriology. 

On  April  13,  1918,  Lieutenant  Edwards  and  Farley 
were  ordered  to  Epernay  for  a  ten-day  course  in  wound 
bacteriology.  Shortly  after  their  return  Lieutenant  Ed- 
wards was  relieved  from  further  duty,  and  was  succeeded 
as  officer  in  charge  by  Lieutenant  Farley.  Lieutenant  E. 
J.  Wehman  was  assigned  to  the  vacancy  on  the  staff. 

On  April  26th  Lieutenant  Funkhouser  was  ordered  to 

144 


Departments  (Continued)  145 

the  42d  Division,  returning  to  Contrexeville  and  resum- 
ing his  former  duties  with  the  laboratory  on  June  21st. 
On  June  29th  Lieutenant  Funkhouser  received  another 
order  transferring  him  to  Dijon  for  a  five-weeks'  course 
in  serology.  Meanwhile  Lieutenant  Wehman  was  absent 
from  June  30th  to  July  29th,  having  been  ordered  to  Mo- 
bile Hospital  No.  39  for  temporary  duty. 

The  enlisted  personnel  of  the  Central  Laboratory  and 
subsidiaries  was  as  follows:  Sergeant  Don  Westfall,  Ser- 
geant H.  H.  Hollingsworth,  Sergeant  Pierre  S.  Morgan, 
Sergeant  Berl  C.  Shearer,  Sergeant  Frank  H.  Judson, 
Sergeant  Raymond  Johnston,  Sergeant  Walter  Howlett, 
Sergeant  P.  A.  Vanderschouw,  Corporal  Paul  Matthews, 
Corporal  M.  R.  Fox,  Louis  Stuart,  Edward  H.  Newell, 
Harry  W.  Fisher  and  Dickson  Lynch. 

By  the  end  of  May  the  Central  Laboratory  was  com- 
pletely organized  with  the  exception  of  the  Serology  De- 
partment. This  department  did  not  begin  functioning 
until  Lieutenant  Funkhouser  returned  from  Dijon  to  take 
charge  of  it.  From  that  time  on  it  did  the  serology  for  all 
four  hospitals  in  the  center,  as  well  as  the  anatomico- 
pathology  for  Base  Hospitals  31  and  32. 

Lieutenant  Funkhouser  was  assisted  in  the  serology 
work  by  Sergeant  H.  H.  Hollingsworth.  Wasserman 
tests  were  made  on  Tuesdays  and  Fridays,  the  number  of 
blood  tests  varying  according  to  the  number  of  patients 
in  the  hospitals.  More  than  six  hundred  such  tests  were 
made  by  this  department  before  the  hospitals  were  closed. 
The  number  of  positive  Wassermans  from  soldiers  was 
probably  no  greater  than  is  found  in  civilians. 

The  autopsies  were  performed  in  the  morgue,  there 
being  no  other  room  available  for  this  work.  The  army 
regulations  required  that  all  soldiers  dying  in  the  service 
should  come  to  autopsy  whenever  circumstances  would 


146  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

permit.  This  greatly  increased  the  laboratory  work.  Two 
hundred  and  fifty-four  autopsies  were  performed  before 
the  laboratory  was  closed.  Records  of  the  month  of  Octo- 
ber alone  show  one  hundred  and  twenty  postmortems. 
Sergeant  Pierre  Morgan  acted  as  undertaker  for  the  two 
hospitals  and  deserves  credit  for  the  manner  in  which  this 
work  was  handled. 

The  Bacteriology  Department,  under  Lieutenant  Far- 
ley and  Muns,  also  saw  intensive  service.  An  average  of 
more  than  five  hundred  cultures  were  made  monthly.  The 
volume  of  wound  bacteriology,  however,  was  not  as  ex- 
tensive as  had  been  anticipated.  Often  during  periods  of 
rapid  evacuation  the  surgical  patients  did  not  remain  long 
enough  to  benefit  by  bacteriological  examinations. 

The  clinical  pathology  was  done  largely  in  the  sub- 
sidiary laboratories.  These  laboratories  were  in  charge 
of  enlisted  men  who  had  been  trained  for  the  work  by 
officers  of  the  Central  Laboratory  stafif.  An  average  of 
approximately  fifteen  hundred  tests  were  done  monthly. 

Orthopedic  Service 

The  original  plan  of  organization  of  Base  Hospital  32 
did  not  include  a  separate  orthopedic  service,  but  merely 
an  orthopedic  surgeon  as  a  part  of  the  general  surgical 
service.  This  was  no  doubt  due  to  the  fact  that  the  treat- 
ment of  compound  fractures  was  to  be  considered  as  gen- 
eral surgery. 

In  organizing  the  different  departments  in  Contrexe- 
ville  no  special  arrangements  were  made  for  a  fracture 
service  (which  class  of  cases  later  constituted  ninety  per 
cent  of  the  work  done  by  the  orthopedic  surgeons),  and 
very  little  was  done  in  the  preparation  of  splints  and 
equipment. 

Shortly  after  the  hospital's  arrival  in  France,  Captain 


Departments  (Continued)  147 

Eugene  B.  Mumford,  who  had  been  designated  as  ortho- 
pedic surgeon,  was  ordered  to  Belgium  on  detached  serv- 
ice, and  was  later  transferred  to  an  American  surgical 
team  and  assigned  to  the  French  army  at  Grandevillier, 
Oise.  During  the  early  months  of  the  hospital's  service, 
while  Captain  Mumford  was  absent,  the  few  fractures 
that  came  in  were  handled  without  much  difficulty,  but 
in  June,  when  convoys  began  coming  directly  from  the 
front,  the  necessity  for  a  well-organized  fracture  or  ortho- 
pedic service  became  apparent.  Upon  Captain  Mum- 
ford's  return  to  Contrexeville,  early  in  July,  1918,  the 
commanding  officer  directed  him  to  organize  such  a  serv- 
ice, and  ordered  that  all  wounds  involving  the  bone 
should  be  assigned  to  this  department. 

The  personnel  of  the  orthopedic  department  originally 
consisted  of  Captain  Mumford  and  Irwin  C.  McDonald. 
A  room  on  the  surgery  floor  of  Hospital  A  was  assigned 
to  the  department  and  filled  with  all  varieties  of  splints 
and  accessories. 

These  preparations  came  none  too  soon.  The  first  three 
days  after  the  organization  of  the  department  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-two  compound  fractures  were  scattered 
over  the  first  floor  of  the  Cosmopolitain,  all  to  be  taken 
care  of  by  one  surgeon  and  an  inexperienced  assistant. 

Gradually,  however,  these  days  of  confusion  became 
days  of  system  and  order,  and  the  care  of  the  fractures 
became  proportionately  easier.  The  daily  dressing  of  the 
many  compound  wounds  was  organized  with  Miss  L.  V. 
Beck  in  charge.  Five  Dakin  carts  or  "crews"  were  under 
her  direction,  and  it  was  only  through  her  long  hours  of 
labor  and  the  capable  assistance  of  the  ward  nurses  that 
the  volume  of  work  handled  by  the  department  was  made 
possible. 

It  is  greatly  to  the  credit  of  Captain  Mumford  that  in  a 


148  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

few  short  weeks  and  with  very  little  to  start  with,  he  built 
up  one  of  the  most  efficient  orthopedic  departments  of  any 
base  hospital  in  the  A.  E.  F. 

During  the  period  of  the  hospital's  greatest  activity  the 
orthopedic  service  cared  for  an  average  of  about  three 
hundred  and  fifty  cases,  practically  all  of  which  were 
compound  fractures.  A  record  of  689  patients  was  kept, 
but  these  comprised  only  the  more  seriously  wounded  and 
did  not  include  the  many  minor  wounds  and  "flat  feet" 
cases.  One  hundred  per  cent  of  the  bomb  wounds,  eighty- 
seven  per  cent  of  the  high  explosive  wounds  and  ten  per 
cent  of  the  machine  gun  wounds  were  infected.  Notwith- 
standing this  there  were  but  two  cases  of  tetanus  and  only 
four  amputations,  all  of  which  were  due  to  gas  infection. 
There  were  nine  deaths. 

The  close  co-operation  of  the  X-Ray  department  under 
Captain  Beeler  with  the  orthopedic  service  was  a  source 
of  great  benefit  to  the  patients.  Most  of  the  fractures  were 
reduced  under  the  fluoroscope. 

The  orthopedic  department  of  Base  Hospital  32  was 
the  first  in  the  A.  E.  F.  to  use  a  special  anesthesia  for 
dressing  wounds.  This  anesthesia,  as  suggested  by  Cap- 
tain Mumford  and  developed  by  Captain  Guedel,  not 
only  promoted  the  efficiency  of  the  department,  but  re- 
duced the  suffering  of  the  wounded  to  a  minimum. 

The  personnel  of  the  department  was  later  augmented 
by  the  assignment  of  Lieutenant  F.  H.  Murray  and  Cap- 
tain Alphonso  Meyer.  These  officers  came  at  a  time 
when  their  services  were  badly  needed  and  both  of  them 
became  valuable  assets  to  the  orthopedic  service. 

N  euro-Psychiatry 

The  work  of  Base  Hospital  32  in  this  interesting  field 
is  related  in  the  following  account  by  Major  Chas.  D. 


Departments  (Continued)  149 

Humes.  Major  Humes  was  consulting  neurologist  for  the 
Vittel-Contrexeville  Hospital  Center. 

The  part  which  Base  Hospital  32  played  in  the  great 
war  I  can  better  appreciate  and  describe  because  of  my 
being  only  partly  attached  to  it  and  associated  with  three 
other  base  hospital  groups  at  the  same  time,  which  af- 
forded me  the  opportunity  of  comparing  the  work  of 
Base  Hospital  No.  32  to  Base  Hospital  No.  31  of  Youngs- 
town,  Ohio — Base  Hospital  No.  23  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and 
Base  Hospital  No.  36,  of  Detroit,  Mich. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  conflict  the  medical  depart- 
ment, under  Major  Kennedy,  accompanied  the  greater 
number  of  cases,  as  it  was  at  this  time  that  the  large  num- 
ber of  psycho-neuroses  arrived.  Not  too  much  credit  can 
be  given  him  for  his  efforts  in  isolating  these  cases  and 
making  it  possible  for  our  department  to  make  daily  re- 
view of  all  neuroses  in  the  hospital. 

Captain  Robert  M.  Moore  had  more  direct  charge  of 
these  cases  than  any  other  one  of  the  medical  staff  and  I 
recall  with  the  greatest  pleasure  many  hours  we  spent 
together  in  the  old  Hotel  Royal  at  Contrexeville. 

The  review  of  the  work  can  be  divided  into:  (i)  the 
psycho-neuroses;  (2)  brain  and  spinal  cord  injuries;  and 
(3)  peripheral  nerve  lesions,  psychoses,  and  miscella- 
neous. 

A  neuroses  is  the  expression  of  an  attempt  to  adjust 
oneself  to  an  unpleasant  circumstance  or  situation,  the 
degree  proportionate  to  the  failure  of  the  individual.  It 
is  a  natural  mental  defense  unconsciously  established, 
which  affords  the  apparently  easy  way  out  of  a  difficulty. 
It  is  the  outgrowth  of  unhealthy  mental  habits,  the  result 
of  careless  indifference  and  fostered  chiefly  by  innate  self- 
ishness.  Itmanifests  itself  in  civil  life  as  pettiness,  peevish- 


150  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

ness,  instabilities,  inadaptabilities,  lack  of  responsibility 
which  grow  into  the  fear  of  same,  restlessness,  irrelevant 
nervousness,  fickleness  of  nature  and  conduct,  disregard 
of  rights  and  feelings  of  others,  abiding  concern  of  self, 
vague  apprehensions,  needless  worries,  morbid  reflec- 
tions, etc. 

It  should  be  classified  as  a  psychoneurosis,  manifest- 
ing any  or  all  of  the  unnatural  psychic  reactions  which  do 
not  completely  overrule  judgment  and  approaches  the 
borderline  of  the  psychoses  so  closely  that  distinction  is 
more  easily  made  than  a  difference  and  under  the  nomen- 
clature of  neurasthenia,  psychasthenia,  nostalgia,  insom- 
nia, etc.,  it  has  made  its  way  into  our  literature  and  clini- 
cal discourse.  With  changing  environment  it  is  a  livable 
possibility.  The  individual  so  constituted  can  accomplish 
his  or  her  purpose  so  long  as  there  exists  the  actual  chang- 
ing scene  or  possibility  of  that  is  not  denied,  or  at  least 
can  make  the  passing  grade,  avoid  the  public  charge  of 
incompetency  and  maintain  the  respect  of  the  average 
community.  It  is  common  to  all  ages  from  accountability 
to  senility  and  requires  for  its  demonstration  only  such  a 
man  and  a  circumstance,  not  of  his  finer  choosing. 

With  this  meager  portrait  before  us  of  man's  reactions 
in  civil  life  we  can  rapidly  pass  to  his  war  record.  Mili- 
tary training  and  life  worked  its  greatest  hardship  on 
these  nonplastic,  self-centered  inadaptabilities.  Their  cir- 
cumstance was  too  unpleasant,  its  constancy  unbearable, 
the  scene  unchanging.  With  no  chance  of  relief  in  sight 
and  no  pleasure  in  present  pursuit,  they  naturally  fell  a 
victim  to  one  of  the  many  war  manifestations. 

I  can  speak  intimately  of  the  three  periods  of  our  ac- 
tivities: (i)  the  precombatant;  (2)  the  combatant;  and 
(3)  the  postcombatant. 

Each  differs  in  both  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  reac- 


-rrwrw-'t^r 


PRESENTATION   OF  D.   S.  C.  TO  BASE  HOSPITAL  32  PATIENT 


AKADK.    iriA'  4. 


Departments  (Continued)  151 

tion.  Of  the  first,  all  is  included  from  the  day  of  enlist- 
ment or  draft  to  the  time  of  the  American  sector  engage- 
ments. All  ranks  and  all  men  are  included  in  this  review 
— West  Point,  Annapolis,  regular  army,  those  who  had 
seen  island  and  Mexican  service  and  the  rawest  recruit — 
college  professors,  lawyers,  doctors,  dentists,  ministers  of 
all  denominations,  scientists,  engineers,  railroad,  motor 
transport,  bankers,  farmers,  and  manufacturers.  There 
was  no  pursuit  of  life,  no  trade  or  profession,  no  social 
scale  untouched  and  these  were  our  standard  American 
citizens,  examined,  passed  by  boards  and  stamped  fit. 

Although  expecting  much  of  this  display,  my  clinical 
greed  was  soon  satisfied.  There  were  times  in  March, 
1918,  when  I  wondered  when  our  army  was  going  to 
adapt  itself  or  adopt  its  circumstances.  A  constant  state 
of  pure  old-fashioned  homesickness  pervaded  every 
camp.  That  became  more  apparent  as  the  gloomy  days 
of  early  April  came  on,  a  factor  which  I  was  loath  to  ac- 
cept at  first,  but  it  became  definite  and  distinct.  The  men 
were  in  so-called  training  areas,  trying  mostly  to  get 
warm  and  adapt  themselves  to  France,  her  tongue  and 
her  weather. 

We  had  but  one  neurologic  hospital  in  operation  at 
that  time.  It  was  constantly  crowded  with  officers  and 
enlisted  men,  no  transport  return  service  established,  the 
Bay  of  Biscay  only  to  our  backs  and  more  patients  com- 
ing in  each  day.  The  patients  were  almost  entirely  un- 
wounded  excepting  the  great  number  of  self-inflicted 
wounds,  incident  to. 

The  English  in  the  first  two  years  of  the  war  pensioned 
ninety  per  cent  of  their  war  neuroses.  The  French  sent 
ninety  per  cent  of  theirs  back  to  the  lines  in  ten  days.  Hav- 
ing brought  our  men  some  three  thousand  miles  at  an 
average  cost  of  $1,000,  it  behooved  us  to  keep  the  majority 


152  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

near  the  line  also,  knowing,  too,  that  England  was  then 
re-educating  her  formerly  pensioned  men  successfully, 
even  after  two  years'  invalidism.  We  adopted  the  same 
course  early  at  No.  8,  Savenay,  the  Post  Graduate  Hos- 
pital, New  York. 

While  I  consider  a  war  neurosis  only  an  exaggeration 
of  the  civil  type,  its  unusual  manifestations  were  most  in- 
teresting. The  so-called  shell  shock,  a  pure  warlike  name 
for  extreme  nervousness,  was  successfully  handled  by  first, 
kindly,  gently  quieting  the  patient,  obtaining  his  con- 
fidence, evincing  no  lack  of  sympathy,  yet  firmly  setting 
him  on  his  feet,  about  face,  and  starting  him  back.  Not 
easy  then  with  the  smell  of  salt  air  in  your  nostrils — at  the 
port  of  debarkation,  boats  unloading  under  your  very  eye 
and  going  back  with  room  aboard.  The  majority  of  these 
"shell  shocks"  had  been  acquired  en  route  from  Hoboken, 
many  never  having  reached  even  the  training  areas. 

In  May  the  hospital  for  neuroses  was  opened  at  La 
Fouche  near  the  American  Army  sector  and  only  the  bor- 
derline cases  came  down,  "unfit  for  further  service  in  the 
A.  E.  P.,"  the  papers  would  read. 

So  you  have  it  in  the  first  period,  nervousness  (shell 
shock),  night  terrors,  fainting  spells  (and  always  marked 
epilepsy),  gigantic  tremors,  paresis,  palsy,  bizarre  gaits, 
mutism,  etc. 

2.  Combatant  Period— The  Chateau  Thierry  drive 
alone  netted  the  Vittel-Contrexeville  Center  some  seven 
thousand  casualties,  among  these  six  hundred  so-called 
shell  shocks,  exhaustion,  etc.  Of  this  number  all  but 
twenty-three  returned  to  duty  in  fourteen  days;  none  of 
these  were  injured,  simply  nervous  and  exhausted,  but 
exhibiting  every  phase  from  aphonia  to  monoplegia. 

The  medical  chiefs  of  the  center  with  No.  32  set  aside 
one  building  of  each  group  for  the  reception  of  these 


Departments  (Continued)  153 

marked  cases.  After  forty-eight  hours'  rest  they  were  put 
on  hikes,  formed  into  squads  and  rapidly  worked  back 
into  duty  class.  Self-inflicted  wounds  disappeared  when 
the  real  activity  opened^  excepting  an  occasional  one.  It 
was  already  evident  that  "shell  shock"  was  unpopular 
and)  almost  impossible  to  get  such  an  audible  statement 
in  a  ward  filled  with  wounded.  This  was  July  15th  to 
August  15th. 

Thereafter  the  psychoneuroses  dwindled  until  in  my 
report  for  September  I  mentioned  to  my  chief,  Colonel 
Salmon,  the  exact  source  of  the  cases,  so  rare  were  they. 
In  short,  the  men  were  victims  of  exhaustion,  and  antici- 
pating this  it  was  made  the  rule  after  the  first  drive  in 
July  to  place  the  men  in  rest  camps  supporting  their  re- 
spective divisions  and  return  directly  to  their  comrades 
after  a  few  days. 

You  may  imagine  that  all  the  neurotics  were  weeded 
out  in  the  precombative  period,  but  not  so.  Rather,  many 
men  became  re-established  and  fought  their  way  into 
good  health,  self-possession  and  many  to  glory  and  dis- 
tinction. 

3.  The  postcombatant  was  ushered  in  with  the  most 
phenomenal  convalescence  ever  witnessed  under  heaven. 
Even  the  hopelessly  wounded,  the  unfortunate  head  and 
spine  cases,  seemed  to  take  a  new  lease  on  life,  but  the 
erstwhile  nervous  and  depressed  were  cured  before  the 
church  bells  had  tolled  twice.  But  the  war  was  not  over. 
The  third  army  needed  replacements  and  then  came  an 
awful  slump  in  morale.  The  vision  of  home  grew  dimmer 
and  instead  arose  the  occupation  camps  along  the  Rhine. 
An  order  issued  at  the  psychological  moment  by  the  neu- 
ropsychiatric  department  saved  the  day  for  us,  stating 
that  all  neuroses  would  be  kept  in  France  until  cured. 

Officers  and  men  alike  suffered  the  suspense  which  fol- 


154  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

lowed,  the  former  more  than  the  latter,  since  active  re- 
sponsibility gradually  diminished  and  the  reorganization 
developed.  Man's  mind  is  not  readily  adaptable  to  un- 
certainty and  this  became  more  unbearable  as  chances  for 
homecoming  seemed  possible.  Relaxation  for  the  first 
time  settled  on  our  army  and  almost  amounted  to  mental 
inertia.  Our  department  became  busy  again  and  the  dis- 
cipline of  the  army  was  sorely  taxed.  I  am  convinced 
that  nothing  but  the  rigid  discipline  which  had  been 
well  grounded  saved  the  hospital  situation  through  the 
months  following  the  armistice,  and  nothing  was  so  im- 
portant at  all  times  as  constant  vigilance  of  these  cases. 
I  am  certain  that  the  letter  of  the  law  was  observed,  from 
personal  conversations  with  the  stafif  of  117,  the  advanced 
area  hospital,  and  at  No.  8,  the  original  debarkation  and 
final  one,  no  case  of  psychoneurosis  returned  as  such 
unless  bearing  the  poor  prognostic  stamp  of  "unfit  for 
service." 

Colonel  Salmon  reported  that  not  one  case  of  so-called 
"shell  shock"  came  out  of  the  Argonne,  so  completely  had 
the  word  been  driven  out  of  the  busy  army  medical  corps 
at  the  front.  Quite  different  from  the  first  days  following 
Chateau  Thierry. 

Among  officers  the  most  constant  afifection  was  psychas- 
thenia  with  its  indecision  and  fear  of  responsibility,  the 
cure  usually  being  afifected  by  travel  orders  homeward. 
So  dangerous  was  this  state  of  mind  that  sudden  change 
of  orders  was  disastrous  as  in  the  case  of  a  major  at  port 
of  debarkation,  ready  to  sail,  w^ho  was  ordered  back  with 
the  third  army,  who  forthwith  shot  himself  through  the 
head.  This  and  many  other  tragic  things  marked  the  clos- 
ing weeks  of  reorganization  and  proves  the  narrow  line 
which  separates  the  neurosis  from  a  true  unsoundness  of 
mind. 


THE  BISHOP'S  FARM 


-^^^^^   .  .^miMtiumtimt 


k!» 


■■^.^"4 


RAILKiiAl)   I'.IUDCE,  RIVER  VAIR 


Departments  (Continued)  155 

War  neuroses  are  defense  reactions  commonly  en- 
grafted on  a  neurotic  tendency.  Shell  shock  is  a  war  work 
and  enjoys  no  distinction  truly  its  own  and  is  not  to  be 
confused  with  the  "commotio  cerebri"  so  ably  described 
by  Marie  and  his  French  colleagues.  Psychic  reactions 
without  motor  disturbance  was  the  rule  among  officers. 

The  functional  disturbances,  aphonia,  deafness,  tremor, 
paralysis,  largely  obtained  with  the  enlisted  men  and  with 
only  one  exception  in  my  experience  associated  with  shot 
or  shell  wounds. 

The  tendency  toward  neuroses,  especially  the  acquired 
war  neuroses,  rapidly  decreased  as  the  army  became  com- 
bative. The  success  of  correction  lay  in  making  the  entire 
process  of  recovery  satisfactory  to  the  patient. 

It  was  the  constant  rule  to  relieve  the  patient  from  any 
morbid  introspection  and  never  refer  to  the  disqualifica- 
tion which  brought  him  into  the  neuropsychiatric  depart- 
ment. The  human  element  was  more  necessary  in  correct- 
ing and  controlling  these  affections  under  war  conditions 
than  obtained  in  our  regular  private  practice. 

From  the  nature  of  the  injury  received  in  the  combat 
from  high  explosives,  direct  hits  and  particularly  from 
being  thrown  heavy,  great  numbers  of  cerebral  concussion 
cases  resulted.  The  cases  were  cared  for  in  both  medical 
and  surgical  hospitals,  particularly  the  latter  if  associated 
with  any  wound.  Some  of  these  cases  without  any  evi- 
dence of  injury  required  many  weeks  for  recovery. 

The  injuries  of  the  brain  were  the  result  of  either  direct 
bullets  or  shrapnel  hits,  or  from  the  result  of  skull  frac- 
ture. The  location  of  foreign  bodies  in  the  brain  was 
made  possible  through  the  wonderful  X-Ray  work  of 
Captain  Raymond  Beeler  and  Captain  R.  L.  Lochry. 
The  work  of  this  department  was,  to  my  personal  knowl- 
edge, second  to  none  in  France. 


156  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

The  rule  was  followed  that  the  patient  was  operated  for 
neurological  relief  and  not  merely  to  remove  foreign 
bodies,  and  if  the  foreign  bodies  were  giving  no  distress- 
ing signs  they  were  ordered  left  alone  and  the  patient 
kept  under  observation.  I  recall  one  man  in  particular 
who  had  twelve  pieces  of  metal  in  his  brain  and  had  no 
neurological  symptoms  whatsoever. 

Our  experience  with  brain  wounds  furthered  our 
knowledge  of  cerebro-localization  and  gave  us  surprising 
information  as  to  the  extent  which  the  brain  can  be  trau- 
matised  without  focalizing  signs. 

The  treatment  of  skull  fractures  was  a  very  conserva- 
tive one,  absolute  quiet,  restraint,  sedatives,  frequent 
spinal  drainage,  etc.,  and  absolutely  avoiding  local  treat- 
ments to  the  nose  and  ears.  One  interesting  case  of  a  man 
who  had  suffered  a  fracture  of  every  bone  of  the  skull 
and  face  had  bled  profusely  from  all  bony  crevices,  but 
had  at  no  time  suffered  a  loss  of  consciousness  and  made 
an  uneventful  recovery  after  being  properly  repaired. 

The  spinal  cord  cases  occupy  a  distinct  place  in  my  pro- 
fessional records.  What  experience  I  had  enjoyed  prior 
to  the  war  with  complete  transverse  cord  lesions  was 
doubly  corroborated  in  my  observations  in  France.  The 
same  calm,  quiet,  undisturbed  expression  was  constant  on 
the  face  of  these  fatally  stricken  heroes  of  ours.  So  char- 
acteristic was  this  of  these  boys  mortally  wounded  with 
bullet  wounds  over  the  fracture  of  the  spine  and  a  com- 
plete severance  of  the  cord  that  I  rather  enjoyed  hearing 
an  outcry  of  pain  from  those  that  were  wounded  in  the 
back,  because  it  gave  me  hope  that  an  operation  might 
give  them  some  relief. 

On  account  of  the  great  number  of  injured  which  always 
accompanied  the  broken  back  cases,  we  agreed  early,  that 
only  the  selected  ones  should  be  operated.  Out  of  our  very 


Departments  (Continued)  157 

large  experience  of  these  cases  we  were  able  to  establish  a 
fairly  definite  formula,  that  is  an  immediate  loss  of  sensa- 
tion and  motion,  without  a  return  of  these  functions  to  any 
degree  within  forty-eight  hours,  means  a  complete  and 
irrepairable  cord  lesion. 

In  the  peripheral  nerve  lesions  we  enjoyed  the  great 
experience  of  learning  all  over  again  physiology  and  an- 
atomy of  our  peripheral  nerves.  Our  experience  in  civil 
life  is  rather  limited  in  these  observations,  but  with  every 
convoy  of  wounded  which  came  into  our  hospital  center 
there  were  always  great  numbers  of  injuries  as  a  result  of 
the  fracture  bullet  wound,  hemorrhage  and  direct  con- 
cussion of  the  nerves. 

I  recall  with  great  pleasure  the  service  with  Captain 
E.  B.  Mumford,  who  splendidly  cared  for  fracture  cases 
and  frequently  presented  interesting  nerve  complications. 
Nerves  were  not  sutured  if  an  infection  was  present  and 
if  sutured  a  dry  operation  was  necessarily  performed. 
These  cases  were  carefully  charted,  sent  to  the  rear  and 
on  home,  where  the  majority  of  the  peripheral  nerve 
work  was  finished.  As  all  such  cases  require  from  one 
and  one-half  to  three  years  to  recover,  they  were  all  of  no 
further  use  to  the  service. 

Among  the  psychoses  we  had  to  deal  mainly  with  the 
manic-depressive  type. 

Late  in  October,  during  the  very  heavy  operations  and 
a  constant  downpour  of  rain,  many  cases  of  acute  depres- 
sion came  in.  I  think  in  most  cases  it  was  a  question  of  an 
early  psychneuroses  upon  which  was  engrafted  the  psy- 
choses. Occasionally  a  constitutional  psychopath  with 
some  incorrigible  tendency  would  come  under  our  notice. 
One  of  the  most  peculiar  types  of  mania,  so-called,  was 
the  result  of  belladona  berry  poisoning  from  which  the 
boy  finally  recovered.    After  we  had  found  the  cause  of 


158  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

his  trouble  a  special  bulletin  was  issued  by  the  army  warn- 
ing the  soldiers  against  eating  the  "beautiful  blue  grapes" 
in  these  mountains. 

During  the  month  of  August,  1921,  I  reviewed  the  old 
hospital  center  at  Contrexeville. 

It  will  be  of  interest  to  all  of  the  old  members  of  the 
hospital  and  to  their  friends  to  know  that  the  hotels  which 
we  used  for  hospitals  are  now  reopened  and  are  very  gay 
with  the  usual  activities  of  these  watering  places.  The 
old  Cosmopolitain  is  quite  a  massive  building  in  peace 
time  and  a  delightful  hotel.  The  operating  tables,  the 
X-Ray  outfits  and  the  countless  beds  of  wounded  have 
been  replaced  by  flowers  and  music  and  the  rooms  are 
now  resounding  with  the  gaiety  of  the  pleasure-seeking. 
Not  one  of  the  old  hotels  but  that  is  in  full  operation 
again.  The  old  Casino,  which  I  recall  as  a  bloody  scene 
of  daily  operation,  is  now  polished,  glittering  with  a  dis- 
play of  exquisite  traps  and  games  of  chance  and  the  vari- 
ous allurements  for  the  gambler  has  replaced  the  sur- 
geon's scalpel  and  splints. 

I  visited  the  graves  of  our  boys  when  we  left  there  and 
found  that  each  had  received  the  most  gentle,  painstaking 
care  and  not  one  blade  of  grass  seemed  astray.  The  graves 
are  visited  daily  by  the  French  of  the  village  and  no  honor 
is  spared  their  memory.  On  every  side  as  I  went  about — 
the  French  were  quick  to  renew  the  old  acquaintance. 
They  have  not  forgotten  us  and  they  are  anxious  that  all 
of  us  return  and  live  with  them  in  times  of  peace. 


XII 
The  a.  R.  C. 

NO  ONE  who  served  in  the  organizations  of  Base 
Hospitals  31  or  32  will  take  exception  to  the  state- 
ment that  the  high  rate  of  success  attained  by  those  units, 
not  to  mention  the  comfort  and  happiness  of  both  patients 
and  staffs,  would  have  been  materially  lowered  but  for 
the  able  assistance  and  co-operation  of  the  American  Red 
Cross. 

Mr.  Lawrence  Hitchcock  of  Cleveland  was  the  first  to 
install  this  great  service  in  Contrexeville.  Mr.  Hitch- 
cock's success  in  leasing  the  bathhouse  and  the  Casino 
Theatre  and  in  laying  the  foundations  for  many  of  the 
subsequent  achievements  of  the  Red  Cross  has  been  men- 
tioned earlier  in  the  book.  The  order  for  Mr.  Hitchcock 
to  report  to  Paris  headquarters  for  duty  came  as  a  dis- 
appointment to  both  hospitals,  but  when  it  was  learned 
that  his  successor  was  to  be  Mr.  William  H.  Thompson 
of  Indianapolis  it  was  felt  that  the  loss  was  compensated 
for  most  satisfactorily. 

The  following  comprehensive  report,  written  by  Mr. 
Thompson  for  the  Red  Cross,  at  the  expiration  of  his 
work,  speaks  for  itself  and  tells  to  those  who  were  there 
of  the  perseverance  and  expert  executive  ability  it  took  to 
accomplish  the  supplying  of  so  many  wants  in  the  face  of 
such  tremendous  disadvantages  as  the  time  and  location 
imposed : 

January  6,  19 19. 

To — ^^American  Red  Cross,  2  Place  de  Rivoli,  Paris. 
From — Captain  W.  H.  Thompson,  Base  Hospital  Repre- 
sentative, B.  H.  31  and  32,  A.  P.  O.  732. 

IS9 


i6o  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Subject — Report  of  work  of  William  H.  Thompson  in 
the  American  Red  Cross  in  France. 

1.  Name — William  H.  Thompson. 

2.  Home  address  in  the  U.  S. — 1354  Lemcke  Annex,  In- 
dianapolis, Ind. 

3.  Date  and  Place  of  Arrival  in  France — April  13,  1918, 
Bordeaux. 

4.  First  Assignment — Base  Hospital  Representative,  B. 
H.  31  and  32,  Contrexeville,  Vosges.  I  arrived  at  Con- 
trexeville  on  April  29th  and  assumed  charge  on  May 
2,  191 8,  relieving  Captain  Lawrence  E.  Hitchcock. 

5.  I  have  had  no  permanent  assignment  other  than  that 
given  above. 

6.  Superior  Officers — Captain  Frederick  Osborne  was  at 
the  time  of  my  arrival  the  commander  of  what  was 
then  known  as  the  Advance  Zone.  He  was  succeeded 
by  Captain  Nicholas  Tilney,  who  was  succeeded  by 
Major  Wallace,  commander  of  the  Eastern  Zone,  later 
by  Captain  Furlong.  Captain  J.  W.  Burdick  was  the 
first  deputy  chief  of  the  Home  and  Hospital  Bureau  in 
this  zone.  Before  his  arrival  all  my  business  afifairs 
were  taken  up  directly  with  Captain  Osborne.  Captain 
Burdick  was  succeeded  by  Captain  Furlong.  It  is  im- 
possible for  me  to  give  the  dates  of  the  incumbency  of 
these  respective  officers. 

7.  Personnel — Upon  my  arrival  in  Contrexeville  the  per- 
sonnel consisted  of  the  following:  Mrs.  Pearle  C. 
Nicholson,  searcher  for  Base  Hospital  32;  Miss  Isabel 
D.  Brownlee,  searcher  for  Base  Hospital  31 ;  Sergeant 
Francis  M.  Kerwin  of  Base  Hospital  31,  secretary; 
William  Lawless,  chaufifeur.  Until  the  month  of  July 
there  was  no  assistant  here  to  aid  me,  but  during  that 
month  the  Paris  office  sent  Lieutenant  S.  LeRoy  Lay- 
ton,  who  remained  through  the  middle  of  September, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  my  present  assistant.  Miss 
Margery  Sawyer  and  Mrs.  Lydia  C.  French  were  each 
here  for  a  short  time  as  searchers.    The  present  per- 


A    \-ETEKA.\    OF    THE    1- 1<A.\(  (i-I'lvT ->1  AN    W  A  U 


The  a.  R.  C.  i6i 

sonnel  of  Base  Hospitals  31  and  32  consist  of  the  fol- 
lowing persons : 

W.  H.  Thompson,  Base  Hospital  Representative. 

T.  B.  Watkins,  Assistant. 

May  P.  Foster,  Secretary. 

Eva  E.  Sorensen,  Directress  of  Hut. 

Ethel  M.  Hurley,  Assistant. 

Kathleen  MacMahon,  Assistant. 

Mary  K.  Taylor,  Searcher. 

Genevieve  L.  Swezey,  Searcher. 

Beryl  M.  Johnson,  Directress  Nurses  Club. 

Edwin  Talghadar,  Chauffeur. 

8.  General  Nature  of  Work — The  American  Red  Cross 
has  maintained  at  Base  Hospitals  31  and  32:  Bath- 
house; theater,  up  to  November  i,  191 8;  an  American 
Red  Cross  hut;  barber  shop;  officers'  club;  nurses' 
club;  convalescent  garden  and  nurses'  garden.  It  has 
also  had  a  sorting  and  receiving  station  for  the  bath- 
house, office  and  warehouse,  and  a  garage. 
The  general  character  of  the  work  here  consists  of  the 
management  of  these  various  activities  and  the  super- 
vising of  the  distribution  of  cigarettes,  tobacco,  news- 
papers, magazines,  shaving  supplies,  toothbrushes,  etc., 
also  the  searching  and  home  communication  work. 
It  seems  to  me  that  a  more  definite  idea  can  be  given  of 
the  entire  situation  and  work  here  by  treating  each 
particular  branch  of  the  work  separately,  and  by  first 
giving  an  idea  of  the  hospital  organization  and  the 
number  of  patients  received. 

ORGANIZATION  OF  HOSPITALS 

Base  Hospital  31  was  organized  at  Youngstown,  Ohio, 
and  has  added  to  it  a  unit  from  Syracuse,  N.  Y.  Its  com- 
manding officers  have  been  Lieutenant  Colonel  Adam 
Schlanser,  September  7,  1917,  to  June  15,  1918;  Lieuten- 
ant Colonel  C.  R.  Clark,  June  i6th  to  July  13,  1918; 
Lieutenant  Colonel  J.  A.  Sherbondy,  July  14th  to  July 


1 62  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

17,  1918;  Captain  A.  E.  Brant,  July  i8th  to  August  21, 
1918;  Lieutenant  Colonel  J.  A.  Sherbondy,  August  22nd 
to  September  3,  1918;  Captain  A.  E.  Brant,  September 
4th  to  September  30,  1918;  Major  J.  L.  Washburn,  Octo- 
ber ist  to  November  24,  1918;  Lieutenant  Colonel  J.  A. 
Sherbondy,  November  25th  to  December  31,  1918;  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  E.  S.  Van  Duyn,  January  i,  1919,  to — 

The  chief  nurses  of  this  unit,  with  their  respective 
terms  of  office,  have  been:  Miss  Frances  M.  Kehoe,  Sep- 
tember 9,  1918,  to  November  i,  1918;  Miss  Sue  Austin 
Wilson,  November  2,  1918,  to — 

Base  Hospital  32  was  organized  in  Indianapolis,  Ind., 
and  has  a  unit  attached  to  it  from  southeastern  Iowa. 

Its  commanding  officers,  with  respective  dates  of  serv- 
ice, have  been  Major  Harry  R.  Beery,  September  i,  1917, 
to  February  13,  1918;  Major  Edmund  D.  Clark,  Febru- 
ary 14th  to  March  6,  1918;  Major  H.  H.  Van  Kirk, 
March  6th  to  July  14,  1918,  and  Lieutenant  Colonel  Ed- 
mund D.  Clark,  July  14,  1918,  to — 

Miss  Florence  Martin  has  been  chief  nurse  of  Base 
Hospital  32  from  the  time  of  its  organization  to  date. 

The  following  figures  show  the  total  number  of  patients 
received  by  the  two  hospitals : 

PATIENTS 

B.H.31.  B.H.32. 

March  32  408 

April   43  40 

May    556  274 

June   651  1.017 

July    1,688  1,574 

August    235  371 

September   2,007  2.319 

October    2,223  2.301 

November   855  814 

December   311  556 

8,601  9,674 

Total,  both  units 18.275 


The  a.  R.  C.  163 

BATHHOUSE 

The  American  Red  Cross  leased  from  the  Societe  des 
Eaux  of  Contrexeville  its  beautiful  bathing  establishment, 
situated  on  the  Colonnade.  The  arrangement  for  this  bath- 
house was  perfected  by  my  predecessor,  Captain  L.  E. 
Hitchcock,  and  it  was  opened  May  ist.  The  bathhouse  is 
built  of  stone,  marble  and  tile.  The  tubs  are  part  porce- 
lain and  part  zinc.  The  Red  Cross  rented  the  bathhouse, 
furnished  the  coal,  soap  and  towels,  and  the  labor  was 
supplied  by  the  army.  One  of  the  best  uses  to  which  the 
bathhouse  was  put  was  as  a  receiving  station  for  the  con- 
voys on  their  arrival.  The  men  were  taken  directly  to  the 
bathhouse  from  the  train,  and  were  bathed  before  going 
to  the  hospitals.  All  clothing  was  taken  from  the  men 
and  turned  over  to  the  hospital  authorities.  Each  man  re- 
ceived at  the  bathhouse  from  the  army  a  pair  of  pajamas, 
a  pair  of  socks  and  bathrobe,  and  from  the  American  Red 
Cross  an  empty  comfort  bag.  Many  of  the  soldiers  who 
came  here  had  infested  clothing,  and  by  this  method  of 
procedure  they  went  to  the  hospitals  clean. 

The  total  number  of  baths  given  were  as  follows: 

May    3,591 

June   4,936 

July  6,576 

August    6,530 

September   4,460 

October    4,820 

Total    30,913 

In  November  showers  were  installed  in  the  bathhouse, 
because  of  the  fact  that  during  the  winter  it  was  impos- 
sible to  operate  the  tubs,  owing  to  the  exposed  condition 
of  the  plumbing.  The  bathhouse  was  closed  during  No- 
vember for  a  number  of  days  in  order  to  make  the  change, 
and  conditions  have  been  such  that  the  actual  count  of 
baths  given  have  not  been  possible  since  that  time.    My 


164  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

judgment  is  that  there  has  been  an  average  of  150  to  200 
baths  a  day  given  since  that  time. 

SORTING  AND  RECEIVING  STATION 

In  the  room  rented  by  the  American  Red  Cross  and 
formerly  occupied  by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  there  has  been  in- 
stalled a  sorting  and  receiving  station  for  the  bathhouse. 
This  was  used  on  several  occasions  when  convoys  of  pa- 
tients were  received,  especially  at  night.  The  patients 
were  given  a  comfortable  place  to  sit  while  waiting  their 
turn  at  the  bathhouse,  before  going  to  the  hospitals.  Here 
the  doctors  examined  the  field  cards  of  the  patients  and 
determined  to  which  hospital  each  patient  was  to  go. 
Also,  hot  cofifee  was  served  here. 

RED  CROSS  HUT 

The  American  Red  Cross  hut  opened  on  October  14, 
1918.  It  is  160  feet  in  length  and  30  feet  in  width.  Atone 
end  is  a  sales  canteen,  behind  which  are  the  storeroom, 
kitchen  and  office  of  directress.  At  the  other  end  is  the 
stage,  and  back  of  it  are  two  classrooms  and  a  dressing 
room.  The  main  hall  of  the  hut  is  approximately  100  feet 
by  30  feet  in  dimension.  In  the  hut  the  Red  Cross  has 
given  its  Cinema  service  each  week,  consisting  of  a  per- 
formance on  Monday,  Tuesday,  Wednesday  and  Satur- 
day evenings.  These  shows  are  always  crowded  and  from 
650  to  700  men  are  accommodated.  On  other  evenings  of 
the  week  performances  of  other  kinds  have  been  given. 
Some  of  these  have  been  furnished  by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
others  have  come  from  neighboring  hospitals,  and  still 
others  have  been  given  by  the  personnel  and  convalescents 
of  Base  Hospitals  31  and  32,  in  charge  of  the  directress 
of  the  hut.  One  show  in  particular,  a  vaudeville  perform- 
ance, including  a  musical  show,  was  given,  and  the  cos- 
tumes were  designed  and  made  by  the  women  Red  Cross 
hut  workers. 

There  have  been  three  free  servings  in  the  hut  each 
week,  at  which  the  patients  were  given  either  hot  cofifee 


m 


THE  RED  CROSS  HUT 


The  a.  R.  C.  165 

or  chocolate  and  cakes.  Between  500  and  2,000  boys  have 
been  served  each  time. 

At  the  hut  there  have  also  been  a  liberal  supply  of 
magazines,  newspapers  and  writing  paper. 

The  Christmas  celebration,  to  which  reference  is  made 
hereafter  in  this  report,  also  centered  around  the  Amer- 
ican Red  Cross  hut. 

It  is  impossible  to  estimate  the  real  value  of  an  activity 
like  the  hut.  It  has  furnished  a  home  for  the  patients  in 
the  hospitals  and  a  place  for  them  to  spend  the  afternoon 
and  evening.  The  hut  is  beautifully  decorated,  and  has 
been  kept  thoroughly  clean,  and  there  has  been  no  dif- 
ficulty in  maintaining_a  wholly  satisfactory  discipline. 

We  have  operated  a  sales  canteen  with  supplies  pur- 
chased from  the  Quartermasters'  Department  of  the  U. 
S.  A.  The  goods  so  obtained  are  sold  at  actual  cost,  and 
no  doubt  this  feature  of  the  hut  has  been  of  some  advan- 
tage, but  personally  I  regard  it  as  the  smallest  service 
rendered  at  the  hut. 

CONVALESCENTS'  FARM 

The  American  Red  Cross  leased  and  operated  a  farm 
of  approximately  fourteen  acres.  The  work  on  the  farm 
was  in  charge  of  garden  officers  appointed  by  the  two 
base  hospital  units  and  one  non-commissioned  officer  ap- 
pointed from  each  unit.  The  work  was  done  by  the  pa- 
tients in  the  hospitals  who  were  convalescents  to  some 
extent,  but  were  able  to  do  light  farm  work,  and  were  in 
such  condition  that  the  medical  authorities  of  the  hos- 
pitals felt  that  some  work  would  be  of  advantage  to  them. 
It  was  not  hoped  or  expected  that  any  considerable 
amount  of  produce  would  be  obtained  from  the  nine  and 
three-fourths  acres  which  were  actually  under  cultiva- 
tion. Indeed,  the  work  of  planting  was  commenced  some- 
what late.  There  were  particularly  unfortunate  weather 
conditions,  but  in  the  end  the  actual  amount  of  produce 
obtained  was  far  better  than  had  been  expected.  The  fol- 
lowing figures  will  show  the  total  number  of  hours  of 


1 66  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

convalescent  labor  and  the  total  produce  received  from 
the  farm,  month  by  month : 

Hours.  Produce. 

May    455 None 

June 1135 32  doz.  radishes 

July   WlYz 6  hampers  lettuce 

188  doz.  radishes 
1^4  bushels  of  peas 
XYi  bushels  of  beans 

2  doz.  beets 
August   937 6  bushels  of  peas 

3  bushels  of  beans 
13  doz.  beets 

5  hampers  and  4  pounds  of 
lettuce 

September No  work  done.  .  No  produce  removed. 

(Hospitals      particularly 
busy  during  this  month.) 

October  304 278  bushels  of  potatoes 

25  bushels  of  apples 

4  bushels  of  beets 
100  lbs.  of  lettuce 
25  doz.  radishes 

November    106 98^  bushels  of  potatoes 

THEATER 

From  May  ist  to  the  middle  of  October  the  American 
Red  Cross  operated  the  Grand  Casino  here.  Cinema 
shows  and  other  entertainments  were  given  in  this  theater 
up  to  the  opening  of  the  hut  on  October  14,  1918.  The 
Casino  had  a  seating  capacity  of  approximately  475  and 
was  a  beautifully  decorated  and  appointed  showhouse. 
The  impossibility  of  heating  the  Casino  led  to  abandon- 
ment of  its  use. 

BARBER  SHOP 

For  a  considerable  period  of  time  it  was  almost  impos- 
sible to  procure  for  the  patients  in  the  hospitals  necessary 
shaving  materials.    It  was  therefore  decided  to  open  a 


The  a.  R.  C.  167 

barber  shop  in  the  Salon  de  Tir  near  the  hut,  and  this  was 
actually  done  on  the  3rd  day  of  October.  The  service  at 
the  barber  shop  is  entirely  free;  hot  water,  razors,  shaving 
soap,  shaving  brushes,  towels,  etc.,  are  furnished,  and  the 
men  are  permitted  to  shave  themselves.  Also,  I  arranged 
for  convalescents  who  were  barbers  to  cut  the  boys'  hair. 
The  following  is  the  record  of  operation: 

Hair  Cuts.  Shaves.  Total. 

October    875  1,791  2,666 

November   715  2,762  3,477 

December   992  3,031  4,023 


Grand  total  for  the  three  months 10,166 

NURSES'  CLUB 

In  the  two  units  there  are  approximately  175  nurses. 
While  their  living  quarters  are  comfortable  in  the  sum- 
mer time,  the  buildings  in  which  these  quarters  are  situ- 
ated are  difficult  to  heat,  and  there  was  no  place  where  the 
nurses  could  congregate  except  one  small  recreation  room 
for  each  of  the  units.  It  was  therefore  determined  to 
establish  a  nurses'  club,  and  such  a  club  was  opened  the 
latter  part  of  September,  with  Miss  Beryl  M.  Johnson 
in  charge.  There  are  three  living  rooms  opening  into  each 
other  downstairs,  and  the  other  two  floors  of  the  building 
are  used  for  reading,  rest  rooms,  sewing  room,  card  rooms 
and  recreational  features.  Each  afternoon  the  nurses  are 
served  with  tea  or  chocolate  and  sandwiches. 

nurses'  garden 

Dr.  C.  C.  Graux  of  Paris  gave  to  the  American  Red 
Cross  a  beautiful  garden  for  the  use  of  the  nurses.  The 
land  was  about  four  acres  in  extent,  and  was  planted  with 
shrubbery,  fruit  and  shade  trees.  About  seventy-five 
nurses  had  individual  garden  plots.  Many  informal  tea 
parties  and  other  social  affairs  were  given  at  this  garden 
during  the  summer. 


1 68  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

officers'  club 

An  officers'  club  was  opened  in  November  where  there 
are  sleeping  quarters  for  five  officers,  and  where  there  are 
commodious  lounging,  reading  and  smoking  rooms.  The 
house  is  rented  from  M.  Eugene  Etienne  and  the  furni- 
ture from  Dr.  Colin. 

SEARCHING  AND  HOME  COMMUNICATION  SERVICE 

There  has  been  at  all  times,  since  March,  1918,  in  these 
base  hospitals  at  least  two  searchers  and  sometimes  three. 
The  general  duties  performed  by  the  searchers  are  as 
follows : 

1.  Attending  each  funeral  of  an  American  soldier. 

2.  Writing  a  letter  to  the  nearest  relative  of  each  de- 
ceased soldier,  called  a  mortality  letter. 

3.  Making  weekly  reports  on  the  seriously  sick  and 
wounded  soldiers  in  each  hospital. 

4.  Writing  letters  for  the  soldiers. 

5.  Searching  for  men  reported  to  be  missing  or  dead, 
among  their  comrades  in  the  hospitals,  to  ascertain 
whether  the  men  reported  missing  were  dead  or  alive, 
and  if  dead  to  report  the  details  of  his  death  and  burial. 

6.  Social  work  among  the  seriously  sick  in  the  hos- 
pitals. 

7.  The  furnishing  of  delicacies  to  the  seriously  sick. 

8.  Writing  to  headquarters  of  the  American  Red  Cross 
about  a  variety  of  matters  for  soldiers  in  the  hospitals, 
including  conditions  at  home,  allotments,  etc. 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  give  an  adequate  idea  of  all 
the  things  which  these  women  have  done.  They  have  ren- 
dered exceedingly  efficient  service,  and  have  worked 
practically  day  and  night. 

CHRISTMAS  PACKAGES 

Every  soldier  who  came  as  a  patient  to  these  base  hos- 
pitals up  to  approximately  November  i,  1918,  received 
from  the  American  Red  Cross  one  of  the  filled  comfort 


The  a.  R.  C.  169 

bags,  or  Christmas  packages,  packed  by  the  various  chap- 
ters in  the  states. 

After  November  i,  19 18,  these  packages  were  not  dis- 
tributed because  it  had  become  impossible  for  us  to  pro- 
cure a  supply  from  the  warehouse  at  Neufchateau. 

There  were,  therefore,  given  out  by  me  and  my  assis- 
tants here  substantially  15,850  packages.  Many  of  the 
patients  received  here,  in  fact  most  of  them  came  to  the 
hospitals  absolutely  stripped  of  all  personal  belongings, 
without  shaving  materials,  without  even  toothbrushes, 
and  many  of  them  without  any  money  with  which  to  pur- 
chase the  same.  While  these  comfort  bags  and  Christmas 
packages  were  never  standardized  as  to  contents,  and  not- 
withstanding the  very  great  variation  in  their  contents, 
they  did  furnish  to  the  patients  many  things  of  which  they 
were  in  need.  In  addition,  they  made  each  boy  who  re- 
ceived one  feel  that  there  was  some  one  who  had  a  direct 
personal  interest  in  his  welfare. 

I  want  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  all  comfort  bags,  all 
cigarettes,  all  tobacco,  all  magazines,  and  practically  all 
other  supplies  which  have  gone  to  the  American  soldiers 
in  these  base  hospitals  have  been  given  out  directly  by  a 
Red  Cross  representative.  Up  to  the  time  Lieutenant  Lay- 
ton  arrived  this  work  was  done  by  myself,  with  the  as- 
sistance of  Mrs.  Nicholson  and  Miss  Brownlee.  While 
Lieutenant  Layton  was  here  the  work  of  distributing  in 
the  hospitals  was  under  his  personal  supervision,  and  since 
the  arrival  of  Lieutenant  Watkins  he  has  had  charge  of 
this  distribution.  It  was  never  entrusted  to  any  one  other 
than  a  Red  Cross  representative. 

TOBACCO  AND  CIGARETTES 

At  Base  Hospitals  31  and  32  we  have  had  regular  days 
for  the  distribution  of  tobacco  and  cigarettes,  starting  on 
Monday  morning  and  continuing  through  that  day  and 
into  Tuesday  when  the  number  of  patients  was  large. 
Each  man  received  each  week  one  package  of  cigarettes 
and  a  package  of  smoking  tobacco,  either  Bull  Durham, 


170  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

or,  if  he  preferred  pipe  tobacco,  Prince  Albert,  Tuxedo, 
Stag.  These  cigarettes  and  tobacco  were  taken  directly 
into  the  hospitals  and  delivered  to  the  man  personally,  or 
if  he  was  not  in  the  hospital  at  the  time,  they  were  put  on 
his  bed  for  him.  There  has  never  been  a  failure  in  the 
supply  of  tobacco  or  cigarettes. 

NEWSPAPERS  AND  MAGAZINES 

Three  hundred  newspapers  are  distributed  daily  by  the 
American  Red  Cross  in  the  hospitals  at  Contrexeville. 

Each  month  a  magazine  distribution  has  been  made  in 
Base  Hospitals  31  and  32.  For  a  time  these  magazines 
were  sent  to  the  Red  Cross  chaplain,  but  later  the  distri- 
bution of  same  was  turned  over  to  me,  and  the  following 
data  shows  the  extent  of  such  distribution: 

July  2,002 

August  3,050 

September   (estimated ) 3,000 

October 4,135 

November    2,449 

December   3,71 1 

Total  18,347 

These  magazines  were  distributed  in  the  various  hos- 
pitals, aggregating  thirteen  buildings,  in  the  hut,  etc.  A 
preference  was  given  in  distributing  the  magazines  to  the 
bed  patients. 

WRITING  PAPER 

The  American  Red  Cross  has  distributed  a  very  large 
quantity  of  writing  paper  in  these  hospitals.  At  times  as 
many  as  20,000  sheets  of  paper  and  10,000  envelopes  were 
distributed  weekly. 

CHRISTMAS  CELEBRATION 

There  were  about  two  thousand  convalescents  in  Base 
Hospitals  31  and  32  on  Christmas  day.   The  Christmas 


The  a.  R.  C.  171- 

supplies  that  were  sent  here  were  packed  in  specially  pre- 
pared empty  comfort  bags,  each  of  which  has  stenciled 
on  it  a  red' cross.  These  bags  contained  one  pound  of 
candy,  one  pound  of  nuts,  one  pair  of  socks,  two  handker- 
chiefs, a  package  of  cakes,  a  box  of  matches,  three  Christ- 
mas cards,  two  boxes  of  cigarettes,  one  package  of  Bull 
Durham,  one  bar  of  chocolate  and  one  additional  Christ- 
mas present  consisting  either  of  a  pipe,  a  package  of  play- 
ing cards,  a  razor,  toothbrush,  or  something  of  similar 
character. 

The  hut  was  beautifully  decorated.  At  one  end  there 
was  a  large  star  of  electric  lights  beneath  which  the 
American  flag  was  draped.  At  the  other  end  was  a  large 
Christmas  tree,  with  about  two  hundred  colored  electric 
lights.  The  stage  was  artistically  decorated  with  white 
and  red  hangings  and  two  small  Christmas  trees.  There 
was  a  profusion  of  greenery  placed  throughout  the  hut. 
At  six  o'clock  the  packages  were  delivered  to  the  con- 
valescents of  Base  Hospital  31;  at  seven  o'clock  to  the 
convalescents  of  Base  Hospital  32,  and  at  eight  o'clock  to 
the  personnel  of  the  two  units. 

There  were  about  two  hundred  bed  patients  who  were 
unable  to  attend  the  Christmas  celebration  at  the  hut. 
They  were  given  their  packages  in  the  hospitals  on 
Christmas  morning. 

In  addition  to  the  bags  each  man  received  two  oranges, 
a  cigar  and  a  package  of  chewing  gum. 

On  Christmas  day  there  was  a  special  service  at  the  hut 
at  which  each  convalescent  was  given  a  bowl  of  hot  cofifee, 
a  bread  and  ham  sandwich,  cakes,  candy  and  nuts. 

On  the  afternoon  before  Christmas  there  was  a  Christ- 
mas tree  in  the  Salle  Chaude  for  the  French  children. 
Each  child  was  given  a  little  blue  bag  containing  a  pound 
of  candy,  a  pound  of  nuts  and  a  package  of  cakes.  The 
women  workers  had  prepared  out  of  cardboard  paper 
dolls  representing  American  soldiers  and  Red  Cross 
nurses,  and  each  child  received  one  of  these,  also  a  toy 
from  the  tree  and  a  woolen  sweater. 


172  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

OFFICE  WORK 

The  office  of  the  American  Red  Cross  from  the  time  its 
activities  started  at  these  base  hospitals  until  July  4th  was 
in  a  small  room  in  the  Villa  Salabury.  On  the  last-named 
date  an  office  with  two  commodious  rooms  was  opened  on 
the  Colonnade.  From  this  point  the  general  business  ac- 
tivities of  the  Red  Cross  have  been  conducted.  Here 
checks  have  been  cashed,  remittances  received  for  Amer- 
ica, stamps  sold,  etc.  The  extent  of  this  service  so  ren- 
dered, which  has  been  in  charge  of  Miss  May  P.  Foster, 
can  be  understood  somewhat  from  the  following  figures, 
which  cover  a  period  from  August  28,  1918,  to  January 
6,  1919: 

Total  exchange  purchased 56,512.33  francs 

Money  remitted  to  America,  cash — French 35,679.60  francs 

"Money  remitted  to  America,  checks    8,320.80  francs 

Money  remitted  to  America,  cash — American    .  .  926.11  francs 

Bills  paid    27,084.00  francs 

Approximately  2,000  francs  of  stamps  have  been  sold. 

The  value  of  this  service  is  further  emphasized  when 
attention  is  called  to  the  fact,  first,  that  there  is  no  bank 
in  Contrexeville  where  checks  of  any  kind  can  be  cashed; 
second,  that  there  is  no  government  postoffice  where  U.  S. 
postal  orders  can  be  cashed  or  purchased,  or  stamps  pur- 
chased; third,  that  almost  all  the  items  handled  which 
make  up  the  aggregate  figures  above  were  small  in 
amount. 

OFFICE  HOURS 

The  American  Red  Cross  office  is  open  from  8  130  a.  m. 
until  noon,  and  from  i  to  5:30.  Also,  from  6:30  p.  m. 
until  9:30  or  10  o'clock,  and  sometimes  later. 

MISCELLANEOUS 

Under  this  heading  may  be  classed  a  number  of  services 
performed  by  the  Apierican  Red  Cross  here  which  I  will 
no  more  than  mention  in  a  general  way. 

I.  Furnishing  emergency  hospital  supplies  upon  requi- 


THE  CASINO  THEATRE 


MINSTREL  SHOW,   BASE  HOSPITALS  .U   AND  32,  jU>.':ii  M5,  19'.8 


The  a.  R.  C.  173 

sition  signed  by  the  chief  surgeon  or  the  section  surgeon 
of  S.  O.  S. 

2.  Advice  on  legal  matters,  including  the  drafting  of 
wills,  contracts,  etc. 

3.  Consultation  on  matters  of  all  kinds,  including  finan- 
cial and  family  troubles,  etc. 

4.  Furnishing  of  turkeys  at  Thanksgiving  time  to  the 
convalescents  in  the  two  hospitals. 

5.  Loans  to  soldiers  under  the  plan  originated  by  the 
A.  R.  C. 

8.  The  establishing  of  "sunshine  rooms"  in  several  of 
the  hospital  buildings. 

7.  Cashing  of  checks  at  Neufchateau  where  the 
amounts  were  too  large  to  be  handled  out  of  my  revolv- 
ing fund. 

8.  Shopping  service. 

9.  Exchanging  of  mutilated  money  at  the  bank  at 
Neufchateau. 

EMERGENCY  SERVICE 

There  were  many  times  in  the  hospitals  when  large 
numbers  of  patients  were  received  in  a  few  days.  I  call 
attention  particularly  to  the  condition  in  July,  191 8,  when 
in  the  course  of  four  days  I  distributed,  with  the  assistance 
of  my  force,  nearly  1,900  comfort  bags.  There  were  many 
times,  also,  when  convoys  were  received,  and  when  the 
bathhouse  was  actually  used  as  a  receiving  station  for  two 
or  three  days  continuously. 

9.  There  were  two  occasions  on  which  I  performed 
duties  away  from  Contrexeville,  as  follows : 

1.  The  latter  part  of  April,  at  the  request  of  Captain 
Frederick  Osborne,  I  made  a  trip  to  Epinal,  Belfort  and 
Besancon  to  report  on  the  necessity  for  Red  Cross  work  at 
those  places. 

2.  On  November  22,  1918,  I  left  Contrexeville  for  the 
purpose  of  meeting  returning  American  prisoners.  My 
instructions  from  Captain  Furlong  were  to  meet  Captain 
Bancroft  at  Clearmont  and  to  go  with  him  into  territory 
formerly  occupied  by  the  Germans,  following  the  Third 


174  ^  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Army  until  such  time  as  definite  information  could  be 
procured  of  some  possible  point  of  entry  into  the  Amer- 
ican lines  of  these  prisoners,  when  I  was  to  proceed  to 
that  point,  also,  with  instructions  to  cover  the  situation  at 
Metz  and  Strasbourg. 

On  the  evening  of  November  22nd  I  did  join  Captain 
Bancroft  at  Clearmont,  and  on  the  following  morning  we 
proceeded  through  Verdun  and  Longuyon  to  Longwy. 
There  the  third  corps  of  the  Third  Army  had  taken  over 
a  German  hospital  and  was  using  it  to  give  relief  to  the 
American  soldiers,  nine  of  whom  had  been  prisoners  of 
war.  The  officers  in  charge  informed  me  that  when  the 
Americans  arrived  on  the  20th  of  November  the  Germans 
had  left  a  local  practitioner  in  charge,  together  with  the 
French  nurses. 

I  visited  the  Americans  who  had  been  prisoners  of  war. 
They  were  all  wounded,  many  of  them  seriously;  one 
man  had  both  legs  amputated,  another  one  leg,  another 
five  machine  gun  bullet  wounds,  and  still  another  a  bad 
wound  in  the  jaw.  Among  the  first  things  they  asked  for 
were  American  cigarettes,  and  fortunately  we  were  able 
to  supply  these.  The  names  of  the  men  were  taken,  to- 
gether with  their  nearest  relatives  in  America,  and  this 
information  forwarded  to  Neufchateau  by  courier. 

At  nine  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning,  November  24th, 
I  left  Longwy  and  went  to  Luxembough,  where  I  visited 
the  office  of  the  chief  surgeon  of  the  Third  Army,  but 
was  unable  to  obtain  any  definite  information,  and  con- 
tinued to  Metz,  where  on  the  same  afternoon  Captain 
Whitcomb,  Mrs.  Cothrain  and  Miss  Lynn  reported  to  me. 

On  the  following  morning  we  located  120  American 
prisoners  at  the  prison  camp  near  Fort  Whippy,  five  kilo- 
meters north  of  Metz.  The  first  thing  which  was  done 
was  to  obtain  full  information  as  to  their  names,  organi- 
zations, physical  condition,  the  address  of  their  next  of 
kin.  This  data  was  promptly  forwarded  to  Toul  and  then 
to  Neufchateau  and  Paris. 

I  also  found  that  the  American  boys  had  had  nothing 
to  eat  since  their  arrival  at  4  a.  m.  that  morning,  except 


The  a.  R.  C.  175 

wh^t  they  carried  with  them,  the  remnants  of  the  Red 
Cross  packages  sent  into  Germany  through  Berne,  Switz- 
erland. I  at  once  applied  to  the  American  officer  at  Metz 
and  obtained  125  emergency  rations.  These  we  took  in 
our  camionette  to  the  prison  camp,  and  succeeded  in  serv- 
ing mess  at  i  130  that  afternoon.  These  emergency  rations 
came  in  galvanized  tin  cans.  We  opened  one  of  these  tin 
cans  carefully  and  used  it  for  serving  cofifee.  Hot  water 
was  furnished  by  the  French  officials,  one  boy  produced 
two  cans  of  condensed  milk  from  his  Red  Cross  prison 
package.  There  was  sugar  in  the  emergency  ration,  and 
we  had  really  delicious  coffee. 

Each  boy  also  received  from  the  American  Red  Cross 
two  packages  of  cigarettes,  a  package  of  cookies  and  a 
bar  of  chocolate  and  chewing  gum. 

Major  Verdi,  of  the  U.  S.  Medical  Corps,  at  my  request 
went  to  the  camp  and  redressed  the  wounds  that  needed 
attention.  He  also  found  a  place  for  two  of  the  more  seri- 
ously wounded  men  in  a  temporary  hospital  at  Metz. 

On  November  27th  twenty-eight  American  prisoners 
came  to  the  Hospital  St.  Clemens,  but  were  evacuated  to 
Toul  in  ambulances  before  I  reached  the  hospital,  where- 
upon I  wired  to  the  American  Red  Cross  at  Toul  to  meet 
them  and  render  assistance. 

On  November  28th  twelve  American  prisoners,  who 
came  from  Giessen,  were  located  in  the  station  at  Metz. 
These  were  given  a  noon  Thanksgiving  meal,  and  later  in 
the  day  five  boys,  together  with  the  twelve,  were  given  an 
evening  meal.  On  the  afternoon  of  this  day  I  made  an 
arrangement  for  the  evacuation  of  all  American  prisoners 
then  in  Metz  to  Nancy.  The  original  plan  was  to  evacu- 
ate the  120  boys,  but  upon  returning  to  the  prison  camp  I 
found  ten  additional  prisoners  there,  making  in  all  130. 
The  French  did  not  know  when  these  boys  would  be 
evacuated,  so  Lieutenant  McCuUey,  the  R.  T.  O.  at  Metz, 
arranged  for  three  cars  on  the  six  o'clock  evening  train 
to  Nancy.  After  some  difficulty  I  succeeded  in  obtaining 
the  consent  of  the  French,  and  marched  with  the  boys,  a 
distance  of  five  kilometers  from  the  prison  camp,  to  the 


176  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

station.  The  column  was  headed  by  a  boy  bearing  an 
American  flag  made  from  a  Red  Cross  towel  in  one  of  the 
prison  camps. 

I  stayed  at  Metz  until  Saturday,  November  30th,  and 
from  time  to  time  prisoners  drifted  through  the  station  in 
small  lots.  Altogether,  the  persons  under  my  direction 
accounted  for  190  American  prisoners,  but  twenty-eight 
of  these  were  not  reported  on  because  they  were  evacuated 
before  they  could  be  reached. 

In  a  general  way  these  boys  were  furnished  by  the  Red 
Cross  with  food,  sweaters,  cigarettes,  tobacco,  etc.  Also, 
full  information  was  sent  to  our  Paris  office  for  cabling 
to  America  so  that  their  families  would  be  advised  of 
their  safe  return  within  the  American  lines. 

On  one  day  we  operated  a  canteen  in  the  railroad  sta- 
tion at  Metz  for  arriving  prisoners  of  war  and  for  repatri- 
ated residents  of  Alsace  and  Lorraine. 

I  did  not  go  to  Strasbourg  for  the  reason  that  before  the 
situation  at  Metz  had  been  covered  Captain  Furlong  ad- 
vised me  by  wire  that  there  were  five  members  of  the 
American  Red  Cross  at  Strasbourg. 

Respectfully  submitted, 
(Signed)         WiLLiAM  H.  THOMPSON, 

Base  Hospital  Representative. 


i/^^:.iA, 


y 


DETACHMENT  INSPECTION 


PART  OF  THE  ENLISTED  PERSONNEL 


XIII 
Packing  Up 

IF  in  the  life  of  Base  Hospital  32  there  existed  periods 
of  depression,  those  months,  few  though  they  were, 
between  the  armistice  and  the  actual  start  for  home,  may 
be  truthfully  described  as  acutely  depressing. 

As  was  the  case  in  the  United  States,  the  armistice  was 
"signed"  twice  by  virtually  every  one  except  the  signers. 
In  Contrexeville  and  Vittel,  by  popular  acclamation,  and 
(some  say)  by  order  of  Colonel  Rukke,  commanding 
officer  of  the  Hospital  Center,  Friday  afternoon,  Novem- 
ber 8th,  marked  the  formal  end  of  hostilities.  The  Con- 
trexeville band  was  sent  to  Vittel  in  the  afternoon  to  join 
in  the  celebration,  which  consisted  of  informal,  noisy 
parades,  impromptu  speeches  and  general  hilarity. 

This  celebration,  it  should  be  noted,  was  manifest  only 
among  the  Americans.  The  crafty  French  simply 
shrugged  their  shoulders  and  indicated  that  if  the  report 
were  true  the  mayor  surely  would  have  been  notified  of- 
ficially, and  the  town  crier  would  be  spreading  the  news. 

From  that  moment  until  shortly  after  noon,  November 
I  ith,  one  could  hear  numerous  "reliable"  reports  that  "it's 
no  longer  rumor;  the  armistice  actually  has  been  signed 
now."  When  the  official  word  did  come,  Mayor  Morel 
was  first  to  receive  it,  and  he,  in  turn,  communicated  it  to 
Colonel  Clark,  manifesting  his  delight  by  the  proverbial 
kiss  on  either  cheek,  somewhat  to  the  embarrassment  of 
the  latter,  as  the  street  was  well  filled  with  amused 
soldiers  at  the  time. 

A  firing  squad  of  eight  men  was  assembled  quickly  and 
provided  a  presidential  salute  of  twenty-one  volleys.  For 
the  first  time  since  their  arrival  in   Contrexeville,  the 

177 


178  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Americans  saw  a  liberal  display  of  French  and  allied 
flags,  the  natives  immediately  bedecking  their  homes  and 
public  buildings,  as  well  as  the  thermal  establishment 
and  the  park,  which  graced  the  heart  of  the  village. 

In  the  evening  windows  which  hitherto  had  been  sealed 
were  shorn  of  their  shutters  and  shone  forth  such  cheer 
as  the  French  were  able  to  muster  after  five  sad  and  peril- 
ous years.  Window  sills  throughout  the  town  contained 
small  red,  white  and  blue  glasses,  each  with  a  burning 
candle,  and  jack-o-lanterns.  One  almost  sensed  the  sigh 
of  relief  which  must  have  been  felt  by  each  resident;  a 
freedom  as  if  just  released  from  prison,  though  timorous 
lest  the  bonds  had  not  been  entirely  severed.  It  was  a  time 
when  sentiment  arose  in  the  breast  unconsciously;  a  feel- 
ing of  pathetic  happiness  for,  and  good  will  toward,  the 
French. 

The  weeks  following  the  armistice  did  not  begin  to 
drag  until  all  patients  had  been  evacuated  and  virtually 
all  of  the  hospital  equipment  had  been  sent  away.  These 
two  facts  accomplished,  it  was  indeed  tedious  to  perform 
only  such  duties  as  were  necessary  to  existence  while 
awaiting  that  magic  word  which  would  start  the  home- 
ward journey. 

The  only  interesting  diversion  during  this  period  was 
furnished  by  the  occasional  automobile  trips  to  the  front. 
Whenever  an  ambulance  was  available  parties  of  six  or 
eight  people  were  organized  for  a  one  or  two  day  tour 
through  the  neighboring  battle  sectors.  Doremy — the 
birthplace  of  Joan  of  Arc — was  another  point  of  interest 
that  many  of  the  personnel  were  afforded  the  opportunity 
of  visiting. 

Though  Thursday,  November  28th,  was  Thanksgiving 
Day,  the  turkey  "and  trimmin's"  did  not  arrive  until 
December  3rd,  when  the  entire  organization  was  treated 


Packing  Up  179 

to  a  dinner  which  would  have  been  a  credit  to  any  hotel 
cuisine  in  the  United  States.  Mess  halls  had  been  in  vari- 
ous of  the  hospital  buildings,  but  on  this  occasion  all  the 
men  were  seated  at  once  in  a  large  room  which  before  had 
served  as  a  ward  room  in  the  hospital.  The  meal  con- 
sisted of  roast  turkey  and  dressing,  peas,  mashed  potatoes, 
cold  slaw,  hot  biscuits,  jam  and  butter,  pumpkin  pie, 
doughnuts  and  cofifee,  with  a  package  of  cigarettes  thrown 
in  for  each  man.   It  was  a  feast  long  to  be  remembered. 

Christmas  Day  was  the  occasion  of  a  similar  feast  and  a 
large  holiday  celebration  for  both  the  patients  and  the 
personnel.  Thanks  to  the  efforts  of  the  American  Red 
Cross,  December  25,  19 18,  was  a  real  Christmas.  Every 
one  of  the  more  than  two  thousand  patients  still  in  Con- 
trexeville  shared  in  the  Red  Cross  festivities.  For  the 
convalescent  patients  there  was  a  splendid  celebration  in 
the  Red  Cross  Hut.  The  main  hall  was  beautifully  deco- 
rated with  a  profusion  of  green.  A  large  star  of  electric 
lights  with  the  American  flag  draped  beneath  adorned 
one  end  of  the  hut,  while  a  huge  Christmas  tree,  bril- 
liantly illuminated  and  gaily  decked,  was  at  the  other 
end.  For  the  patients  who  were  unable  to  leave  their 
beds,  the  wards  were  attractively  decorated  with  ever- 
greens and  the  Red  Cross  gifts  were  distributed  at  the 
beds.  Every  patient  received  a  comfort  bag  containing 
one  pound  of  candy,  one  pound  of  nuts,  a  package  of 
cakes,  one  bar  of  chocolate,  two  boxes  of  cigarettes,  one 
package  of  smoking  tobacco,  one  box  of  matches,  two 
handkerchiefs,  one  pair  of  socks  and  either  a  razor,  pipe, 
toothbrush  or  some  similar  article.  In  addition  to  this,  all 
of  the  patients  unable  to  leave  their  beds  received  two 
oranges,  cigars  and  chewing  gum. 

The  task  of  tearing  down  the  hospital  equipment  and 
preparing  it  for  shipment  progressed  steadily  after  the 


i8o  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

armistice,  patients  being  concentrated  into  two  of  the  five 
hospital  buildings  so  that  the  equipment  in  the  others 
might  be  packed  and  the  buildings  be  cleaned  for  recom- 
mitment to  the  French.  The  first  of  the  equipment  was 
shipped  in  six  box  cars  to  Is-sur-Tille  on  the  night  of 
January  loth.  Following  that,  additional  cars  were  sent 
almost  daily  until  virtually  everything  in  equipment  ex- 
cept that  necessary  to  the  existence  of  the  unit  had  been 
sent  away. 

The  Base  Hospital  32  basketball  team,  organized  by  the 
enlisted  men  and  coached  by  Captain  Arthur  E.  Guedel, 
proved  to  be  the  unit's  most  successful  venture  in  ath- 
letics. On  January  4th  they  defeated  Base  Hospital  36 
by  a  score  of  23  to  5,  and  a  few  days  later  won  a  hard- 
fought,  overtime  game  from  Base  Hospital  31  by  a  score 
of  19  to  15.  The  only  team  in  the  Center  that  succeeded 
in  defeating  them  was  that  of  Base  Hospital  23. 

During  the  last  months  in  Contrexeville  there  were  a 
great  many  transfers  from  the  organization,  particularly 
of  those  officers  and  men  who  were  serving  on  temporary 
duty,  or  who  had  been  assigned  to  the  hospital  as  casuals. 
Captain  J.  E.  Kelley  was  transferred  from  32  on  Novem- 
ber 13th;  Lieutenant  Stanley  S.  Reynolds  on  November 
15th;  Captain  Eugene  B.  Mumford  on  November  30th; 
Captain  H.  H.  Varner  on  November  29th;  Lieutenant  J. 
V.  Sparks  on  January  2nd;  Captains  C.  W.  Banner  and 
Albert  Barr  on  January  5th;  Captain  H.  T.  Youtz  on 
January  13th;  Lieutenants  Van  N.Verplanck  and  Chas. 
E.  Wagner  on  January  23rd  and  Lieutenant  Francis  H. 
Murray  on  February  12th. 

From  December  on  a  number  of  the  older  officers  were 
transferred  from  Base  Hospital  32  for  return  to  the 
United  States.  These  fortunate  and  much  envied  indi- 
viduals were:  Major  Bernays  Kennedy,  who  was  trans- 
ferred on  December  8th;  Major  Chas.  D.  Humes  and 


3f¥li, 


THE  QUARTERMASTER  COMMISSARY 


THE  CARPENTER  SHOP 


Packing  Up  i8i 

Captain  Harry  F.  Byrnes  on  January  2nd,  and  Majors 
A.  B.  Graham  and  Lafayette  Page  on  January  nth. 
Nurses  Martha  Berger  and  Amy  Prosser  were  also  re- 
turned to  the  United  States  on  account  of  illness. 

The  following  nurses,  who  had  expressed  a  preference 
to  remain  in  the  A.  E.  F.,  were  transferred  on  January  13, 
1919,  and  sent  into  Germany  for  duty  with  the  Third 
Army:  Olga  Anderson,  Grace  Bell,  Viola  Burleson, 
Mary  Grim,  Birda  Hunt,  Johanna  Montgomery,  Flor- 
ine  Ostenzi,  Elsie  Peacock,  Evelyn  Potter,  Anna  Rohr, 
Ida  Scholer  and  Hermina  Wagner. 

On  January  16,  1918,  an  order  was  received  at  head- 
quarters transferring  sixteen  nurses  to  Base  Hospital  90. 
By  this  time  practically  every  nurse  in  the  unit  had  her 
heart  set  on  going  home.  Most  of  them  were  packed  up, 
ready  for  the  return  voyage.  No  names  were  mentioned 
in  the  order  and  the  unpleasant  task  of  selecting  the  vic- 
tims finally  devolved  on  the  Chief  Nurse.  It  was  decided 
to  draw  lots.  The  nurses  were  called  in  and  the  order 
was  read  and  explained.  There  was  a  moment's  hesita- 
tion. There  never  had  been  a  time  when  it  was  neces- 
sary to  draw  lots  or  to  conscript  "32"  nurses  for  any  duty, 
and  the  volunteer  spirit  which  had  characterized  the  or- 
ganization from  the  start  did  not  fail  now.  One  nurse 
spoke  up;  then  another,  and  another.  The  names  came 
faster  than  they  could  be  written  down.  The  sixteen  vol- 
unteers who  were  transferred  to  Base  Hospital  90  were 
Esther  Albright,  Hazel  Alkire,  Dixie  Borders,  Nellie 
Davies,  Sarah  Greenhalgh,  Kathryn  O.  Graber,  Mabel 
Lusk,  Alma  Lancaster,  Bertha  Mahan,  Clara  Need, 
Agnes  Swift,  Ruth  Totten,  Grace  Van  Evera,  Alys  Weit- 
endorf,  Olive  Whitlock  and  Merle  Wright. 

Efforts  were  made  to  have  these  nurses  transferred  back 
to  "32"  and  a  few  weeks  later,  all  of  them  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Esther  Albright,  Dixie  Borders  and  Alys  Weiten- 


i82  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

dorf,  who  chose  to  remain  in  the  A.  E.  F.,  were  returned 
to  the  organization. 

On  January  22,  1919,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Edmund  D. 
Clark,  in  accordance  with  orders  received  at  that  time, 
relinquished  his  command  of  Base  Hospital  32  and  was 
transferred  to  Angers  for  return  to  the  United  States. 
Following  the  transfer  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Clark, 
Major  James  F.  Clarke,  of  Unit  R,  assumed  command 
of  the  hospital. 

It  was  at  about  this  time  also  that  Lieutenant  George 
Schutte  was  relieved  from  duty  as  quartermaster  and 
transferred  to  the  Vittel  Hospital  Center.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Lieutenant  George  Fishback,  who  had  been 
commissioned  in  the  quartermaster  corps  on  December 
19,  1918. 

In  addition  to  all  of  these  transfers,  there  were  a  num- 
ber of  losses  in  the  enlisted  personnel.  Cyril  A.  Mc- 
Laughlin was  transferred  on  January  9th,  and  Jay  Con- 
naway,  who  had  applied  for  discharge  in  France,  on 
January  12th.  Otto  Asperger,  Paul  Mulcahy  and  Edd 
Hagamann  were  returned  to  the  United  States  at  different 
times  on  account  of  physical  disability.  During  February 
practically  all  of  the  men  who  had  been  assigned  to  "32" 
from  time  to  time,  and  who  were  not  members  of  the 
original  unit  or  of  Unit  R,  were  transferred  to  other 
organizations. 

Meanwhile  there  were  a  few  additions  to  the  personnel. 
On  November  yth  Chaplain  John  M.  Lacy  was  assigned 
to  Base  Hospital  32  following  the  departure  of  Bishop 
Francis.  Chaplain  Lacy  served  with  the  organization 
until  January  20th,  when  he  was  ordered  to  Marseilles. 
Lieutenants  Arthur  G.  Buehler  and  Howard  H.  Buehler, 
D.  R.  C,  were  assigned  on  November  i8th  and  January 
15th,  respectively,  and  all  of  the  Unit  R  officers  who  had 


Packing  Up  183 

been  transferred  or  absent  on  detached  service,  with  the 
exception  of  Captain  Fuller  and  Lieutenant  Reimers, 
were  returned  to  Base  Hospital  32. 

On  January  7,  1919,  in  accordance  with  orders  received 
from  the  chief  surgeon's  office,  Base  Hospital  32  was 
officially  closed.  The  three  hundred  and  thirty-six  pa- 
tients still  in  the  hospital,  most  of  whom  were  convales- 
cent, and  had  already  been  classified  for  return  to  the 
United  States,  were  turned  over  to  Base  Hospital  31. 

The  records  show  that  from  January,  1918,  up  until 
the  time  the  hospital  was  closed,  nine  thousand  six  hun- 
dred and  ninety-eight  patients  were  cared  for  at  Base 
Hospital  32.  Of  these,  eight  thousand  five  hundred  and 
six,  or  approximately  eighty-eight  per  cent,  were  Amer- 
ican; eight  hundred  and  eighty-four  were  French;  one 
hundred  and  nineteen,  British,  and  one  hundred  and 
eighty-nine,  German  prisoners  of  war. 

Out  of  almost  ten  thousand  patients  only  one  hundred 
and  eighteen  died — a  mortality  rate  of  only  1.22  per  cent. 
Five  thousand  and  sixty-three  patients  were  returned  to 
duty,  and  the  balance  evacuated  to  other  hospitals  for 
convalescence. 

Statistics  compiled  in  the  registrar's  office  by  Lieu- 
tenant C.  C.  Duck  showing  the  monthly  admissions  and 
discharges,  and  the  completion  of  all  cases  are  reproduced 
on  the  following  pages. 

These  statistics  vary  somewhat  from  the  surgical  and 
medical  section  statistics  given  in  Chapter  IX.  The  vari- 
ations, however,  do  not  affect  the  accuracy  of  the  sta- 
tistics in  either  case,  and  are  explained  by  intersectional 
transfers.  It  sometimes  happened  that  medical  patients 
were  transferred  to  the  surgical  section  for  operation,  and 
similarly  surgical  patients  often  developed  disease  and 
were  transferred  to  the  medical  section  for  treatment. 


184  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

ADMISSIONS 


Month 

Americans 

Allies* 

Germans 

Monthly 
Totals 

January 

2 

2 

February 

7 

2F 

9 

March          

407 

1  F 

408 

April 

40 

40 

jyig^y                    

151 

123  F 

274 

June       

425 

463  F 
117  B 

12 

1017 

lulv                

1285 

289  F 

1574 

August                .  .  . 

365 

6F 

371 

September 

2290 

2B 

27 

2319 

October        

2227 

74 

2301 

November 

749 

65 

814 

December 

545 

11 

556 

Total  for  Year .  .  . 

8493 

1003 

189 

9685 

1919 
Tanuarv     

13 

13 

Grand  Total... 

8506 

1003 

189 

9698 

*F-French;  B-British. 


Packing  Up 


85 


DISCHARGES 


To  Duty 

Americans 

Trans,  to 

other  Hosp 

Died 

Allies* 
to  Duty 

Germans 
to  Duty 

Monthly 
Totals 

2 

1 

3 

12 

1 

2 

2F 

17 

269 

269 

145 

6 

51  F 

202 

183 

25 

1  F 

323  F 
91  B 

623 

349 

48 

6 

350  F 
26  B 

12 

791 

850 

490 

2 

155  F 

1497 

263 

1407 

14 

2F 
2B 

27 

1715 

659 

1426 

57 
6  Ger. 

25 

2173 

386 

651 

11 
9  Ger. 

10 

1067 

687 

192 

9 

1  Ger. 

34 

923 

3805 

4247 

118 

1002 

108 

9280 

83 

270 

65 

418 

3888 

4517 

118 

1002 

173 

9698 

*F-French;  B-British. 


1 86  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

RECAPITULATION 

Admissions 

Americans 8,506  8771  % 

Allies  1,003  10.34% 

Germans    189  i-9S% 


9,698 

Completion  of  Cases 
Americans — 

Transferred  to  other  hospitals.  .   4,£;i7  46.58% 

To  duty 3,888  40.09% 

Allies— 

To  duty  and  transferred 1,002  10.33% 

Germans — 
To  duty  and  transferred 173  1.78% 

Deaths — 

Americans loi 

French i 

Germans    16              118                   1.22% 


XIV 
"Homeward  Bound" 

ABOUT  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  Wednesday, 
^February  19,  1919,  a  telegram  was  delivered  to 
headquarters  in  the  Providence  Hotel  which,  in  the  an- 
nals of  the  organization,  shall  rank  next  in  importance  to 
that  which  spread  the  glad  tidings  that  the  armistice  had 
been  signed.  This  memorable  message  decreed  that  the 
personnel  of  the  organization — the  officers  and  enlisted 
men — would  entrain  for  Nantes  shortly  before  6  o'clock 
on  the  following  evening;  it  ordered,  also,  that  the  nurses 
and  female  civilian  employees  should  leave  early  in  the 
morning,  in  company  with  one  officer  and  one  enlisted 
man,  for  La  Baule,  a  small  resort  on  the  west  coast  of 
France  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Nazaire. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  organization  had  been 
working  at  top  speed  for  some  weeks  to  be  ready  when  the 
word  arrived  to  start  for  home,  members  of  the  unit 
found  themselves  faced  with  the  tremendous  task  of  pack- 
ing and  loading  baggage,  policing  quarters,  getting  the 
nurses  on  their  way,  and  winding  up  other  official  business 
all  within  a  twenty-four-hour  period. 

The  remainder  of  the  short  evening  of  February  19th 
held  forth  no  rest;  it  heard  not  the  plaintive  peal  of  taps; 
it  witnessed  little  or  no  military  courtesy;  it  saw  few 
lights  extinguished  ere  the  small  hours  of  the  morning. 
All  fell  to  their  assigned  and  personal  tasks  of  prepara- 
tion with  the  vim  which  had  been  exemplified  in  times  of 
the  more  serious  battles  of  the  war,  when  trainloads  of 
wrecked  humanity  had  been  sent  on  for  tender  and  ef- 
ficient care. 

Together  with  Captain  McGuire  and  Sergeant  Lukens, 

187 


1 88  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

the  nurses  and  civilian  employes  were  started  on  their 
way  early  in  the  morning,  leaving  the  remainder  of  the 
organization,  as  it  proved  to  be,  "for  keeps." 

After  their  departure,  Contrexeville  witnessed  a  day  as 
busy  as  any  had  been  during  the  war,  so  that  by  the  time 
the  train  was  boarded  members  of  the  organization  were 
desperately  tired,  but  exceedingly  happy.  That  part 
of  the  freight  train  allotted  to  the  unit  consisted  of  one 
third-class  coach  for  officers,  five  for  enlisted  men,  and 
three  box  cars  for  baggage  and  kitchen.  The  kitchen  car 
required  considerable  preparation  to  adapt  it  to  service. 
Under  the  direction  of  Lieutenant  Callis  a  regulation 
army  field  kitchen  was  installed  in  one  end  and  sur- 
rounded with  a  foot  of  sand  to  provide  insulation.  A 
week's  supply  of  rations,  together  with  the  mess  gear  and 
sufficient  wood  for  fuel,  were  loaded  in  the  other  end. 
The  headquarters  office  was  located  in  a  French  mail  car, 
which  served  excellently  for  office  purposes. 

Just  a  few  hours  prior  to  the  departure  of  the  train  a 
telegram  was  received  relieving  Lieutenant  Reel  from 
further  duty  with  the  hospital  and  transferring  him  else- 
where for  discharge  in  France.  This  order  came  in  re- 
sponse to  an  application  for  discharge  which  Lieutenant 
Reel  had  filed  some  time  before  in  order  that  he  might 
accept  a  position  which  had  been  offered  him  in  the  Paris 
offices  of  a  well-known  American  firm.  Succeeding  Lieu- 
tenant Reel,  Lieutenant  Duck  was  appointed  detachment 
commander. 

Contrexeville's  limited  population  was  pretty  well  rep- 
resented at  the  station  when  the  train  pulled  out,  amidst 
shouting  and  whistling  from  within  as  well  as  without 
the  cars.  Despite  the  fact  that  every  member  of  the  or- 
ganization was  as  eager  as  possible  to  be  on  the  way, 
actually  living  those  magic  words  which  hitherto  had 
been  so  reverently  spoken — "homeward  bound" — it  was 


LALLEMONT'S 


IHi  -?|i'v  wm*'' 


"Homeward  Bound"  189 

not  without  some  pangs  of  regret  that  the  last  goodbye 
was  waved  and  shouted.  It  could  not  have  been  otherwise. 
Human  nature  requires  a  certain  tie  of  friendship  after 
sixteen  months  of  constant  association. 

The  fact  that  the  train  to  which  the  special  cars  were 
attached  was  a  freight  train  may  or  may  not  mean  much, 
if  left  to  stand  without  explanation  that  French  passenger 
trains  are  notoriously  slow  and  freight  trains  are  oper- 
ated in  proportion.  Consequently,  the  train  established 
no  speed  records  during  the  evening,  and  daylight  found 
the  section  detached  from  anything  movable  in  the  yards 
at  Chalindrey,  which,  after  all  is  said  and  done,  is  only 
some  fifty  or  sixty  miles  from  Contrexeville.  Efforts  were 
made  throughout  the  morning  to  have  the  cars  attached 
to  something  west  bound,  and  finally  about  2  p.  m.  con- 
nection was  made  with  a  snail-like  freight  train  which 
crept  along  throughout  the  afternoon,  hardly  exceeding 
walking  speed  at  any  time. 

Short  stops  were  made  in  Langres  and  Chaumont,  the 
latter  being  reached  about  dusk.  After  having  passed 
Chaumont  the  train  made  a  little  better  speed,  and  within 
a  reasonably  short  time  Bar-Sur-Aube  was  reached,  where 
the  cars  were  again  placed  on  a  side  track.  This  time, 
however,  the  delay  was  not  without  its  compensation,  for 
facilities  were  at  hand  for  washing,  and  poilus  were  pres- 
ent with  the  famous  vin  rouge  at  bargain  day  prices.  An 
evening  meal  was  served  alongside  the  train,  and  within 
two  hours  after  the  stop  the  cars  had  been  attached  to  an- 
other train  which  wound  up  in  the  railroad  yards  just  out- 
side Brienne-le-Chateau  about  11 130  at  night. 

Protests  against  further  delay,  which  were  placed  at  a 
near-by  roundhouse  after  the  cars  had  been  sidetracked 
and  the  engine  "put  to  bed,"  fell  on  deaf  ears,  so  the  night 
of  February  21st  was  spent  in  the  yards. 

Early  morning  brought  encouragement  when  an  engine 


190  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

took  hold  and  started  off  with  the  train  on  a  trip  which 
proved  to  be  the  shortest  of  the  journey,  as  it  terminated 
in  the  station  at  Brienne-le-Chateau.  The  engine  left,  and 
that  was  that.  Pitiful  pleas,  cigarettes  and  tobacco  in 
large  quantities,  promises  of  everlasting  friendship  and 
even  five  hundred  francs  failed  to  obtain  from  the  chef- 
de-gare  an  engine  with  which  to  proceed,  though  he  was 
"exceedingly  sorry  and  equally  helpless  in  the  matter." 
The  only  encouragement  he  could  lend  was  that  maybe 
the  cars  might  be  moved  about  noon.  It  was  about  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning  when  this  cheerful  information 
was  received. 

Although  it  was  late  in  the  afternoon  before  the  train 
left,  the  long  day  was  not  without  its  compensations  in 
Brienne-le-Chateau.  As  the  name  of  the  town  would  sug- 
gest, a  beautiful  chateau  stands  on  a  hilltop,  commanding 
a  view  which  is  equalled  only  in  other  parts  of  France. 
Not  far  from  the  chateau  exists  a  school  which  Napoleon 
attended  as  a  boy.  A  bronze  tablet  with  a  bas-relief  of 
the  great  leader  adorns  one  post  at  the  entrance  and  bears 
this  inscription:  "Brienne-le-Chateau  is  the  place  I  call 
home.  It  was  here  I  first  got  my  ideas  of  the  man." 

The  noon  meal  was  served  on  the  freight  loading  plat- 
form at  the  station  shortly  after  members  of  the  organi- 
zation under  Lieutenant  Duck,  as  detachment  com- 
mander, had  visited  the  chateau  and  school.  The  early 
part  of  the  afternoon  found  a  certain  amount  of  unrest  in 
the  ranks,  which  was  dissipated  somewhat  upon  the  ar- 
rival of  an  Italian  troop  train  which  stopped  alongside. 
Fraternization  followed  immediately,  and  within  a  short 
time  after  their  arrival  the  newcomers  had  called  forth 
their  band.  Souvenirs  were  exchanged  hastily,  and  after 
a  halt  of  about  thirty  minutes  the  Italians  left. 

Traveling  under  such  abnormal  conditions,  and  in  a 
constant  state  of  uncertainty  made  meal  times  distress- 


"Homeward  Bound"  191 

ingly  irregular.  As  a  matter  of  fact  it  became  necessary 
to  ask  the  engineer  of  the  train  at  each  stop  whether  he 
would  remain  stationary  long  enough  to  serve  such  ra- 
tions as  could  be  hurriedly  prepared.  However,  after 
having  remained  in  Brienne  all  day,  little  fear  was  felt 
that  there  would  not  be  plenty  of  time  for  an  evening  meal 
somewhere  along  the  way.  The  train  finally  started  about 
four  o'clock.  It  was  known  that  the  route  was  through 
Troyes,  and  the  mess  detail  prepared  to  serve  at  that  sta- 
tion. Troyes,  however,  as  matters  developed,  "meant 
nothing  in  our  young  lives"  in  so  far  as  food  entered  the 
discussion,  because  the  stop  did  not  exceed  five  minutes, 
nor,  what  was  worse,  did  the  train  stop  again  until  it 
pulled  into  the  yards  at  Sens  about  1 1 130  p.  m.,  after  most 
of  the  men  had  "turned  in"  for  the  night.  All  were 
aroused,  however,  and  many  partook  of  the  delayed  eve- 
ning meal. 

Once  more  the  cars  were  detached  and  left  in  the  yards 
all  night,  but  the  departure  the  next  morning  came  with- 
out much  delay,  at  about  eight  o'clock.  Shortly  before 
noon  the  train  pulled  into  the  station  at  Montargis,  where 
half  an  hour  was  allotted  for  lunch,  after  which  the  more 
or  less  snail-like  speed  was  resumed  until  the  station  at 
Orleans  was  reached  early  in  the  afternoon.  About  five 
o'clock  an  American  train  crew  with  one  of  the  enormous 
American  engines,  which  had  been  sent  from  the  United 
States,  connected  with  the  train,  and  from  that  time  until 
about  11:30  at  night  considerably  more  speed  was  ex- 
hibited than  during  any  stretch  of  the  journey. 

The  resting  place  for  the  night  of  February  23rd  was 
in  the  enormous  yards  at  St.  Pierre-des-Corps,  a  suburb 
of  Tours,  American  Headquarters,  S.  O.  S.  Proximity  to 
headquarters  may  have  had  something  to  do  with  it; 
prayers  for  more  speed  may  have  been  answered,  or  still 
other  influences  may  have  been  at  work,  but  at  all  odds 


192  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

the  start  from  St.  Pierre  was  made  about  three  o'clock  in 
the  morning  and  daylight  found  the  train  in  the  sheds  at 
Saumur  for  a  short  stop.  Breakfast  was  served  in  the  rail- 
road yards  at  Angers  about  8  130,  and  from  that  time  until 
noon  a  steady  speed  was  maintained,  no  stop  being  made 
until  the  destination — Nantes — was  reached. 

There  it  became  known  that  a  four-mile  hike  with  full 
packs  was  imminent,  the  object  being  St.  Sebastien,  a 
suburb  of  Nantes,  where  it  was  supposed  a  stop  of  a  few 
days  would  be  made  prior  to  passing  on  to  St.  Nazaire  for 
passage  back  to  "God's  country." 

The  afternoon  was  spent  in  locating  billets  in  old 
houses,  in  barns,  over  stores,  above  garages  and  in  other 
vacant  spaces  which  were  sufficiently  large  to  accommo- 
date a  few  men,  on  the  floor.  A  detail  in  charge  of  Cap- 
tain Moore  had  preceded  the  organization,  having  left 
on  the  morning  of  February  20th  by  passenger  train,  in 
order  properly  to  assign  billets.  Therefore  little  confu- 
sion resulted  when  the  organization  arrived. 

The  first  few  days  in  St.  Sebastien  were  fraught  with 
wild  rumors  as  to  the  possibility  of  moving  toward  home; 
likewise  were  they  productive  of  a  vast  amount  of  work 
for  a  certain  portion  of  the  organization  in  preparing  for 
the  examinations  which  had  to  be  passed  before  permis- 
sion to  continue  the  homeward  journey  would  be  forth- 
coming. Here  again  rumors  ran  rampant;  the  most 
severe  officers  in  the  army  conducted  the  examinations; 
the  penalties  for  the  slightest  failure  to  pass  an  examina- 
tion were  terrible,  entailing  an  additional  residence  in  St. 
Sebastien  of  not  less  than  three  weeks;  some  organizations 
even  had  been  sent  back  to  Germany  for  further  service 
because  of  their  actions  in  the  billeting  areas.  All  these 
and  more  were  subjects  of  common  conversation. 

One  bright  spot  in  all  these  gloomy  speculations  was 


"Homeward  Bound"  193 

the  discovery  that  Lieutenant  Ray  Randall  of  Indian- 
apolis was  on  duty  in  the  headquarters  office  of  the  Nantes 
area  as  embarkation  adjutant.  Lieutenant  Randall  had 
many  friends  in  32's  personnel,  and  assisted  the  organiza- 
tion materially  in  the  preparation  for  the  final  inspections 
and  the  vast  quantity  of  paper  work  required  before  their 
departure. 

The  arrival  in  St.  Sebastien  was  on  Monday,  February 
24th.  On  the  following  day  it  became  known  definitely 
that  the  nurses  and  civilian  employees  would  not  rejoin  the 
balance  of  the  unit  Word  was  received  to  send  their  bag- 
gage on  to  St.  Nazaire,  from  which  port  it  was  thought 
that  they  would  probably  sail  within  a  few  days.  On 
March  2nd,  however,  the  nurses  received  orders  to  pro- 
ceed to  Brest,  and  here  they  boarded  the  U.  S.  Transport 
America,  and  sailed  for  the  United  States  on  March  4th. 
Nine  days  later,  on  March  13th,  they  arrived  in  New 
York  and  reported  at  the  Nurses  Demobilization  Station, 
Hotel  Albert,  and  from  here  received  transportation  to 
their  respective  homes.  Owing  to  lack  of  room  on  the 
America,  the  following  nurses  remained  at  La  Baule  and 
later  returned  to  the  United  States  on  the  S.  S,  Louisville, 
arriving  in  New  York  March  22nd:  Golda  F.  Smith, 
Agnes  Swift,  Elsie  Thompson,  Helen  A.  Thompson,  Ad- 
die  Threlkeld,  Ruth  Totten,  Eva  B.  VanDyke,  Grace 
Van  Evera,  Bessie  Whitaker,  Olive  Whitlock,  Merl  Moss 
Wright  and  Gertrude  Stefifen  (civilan  employee). 

Meanwhile  the  first  few  days  at  St.  Sebastien  were 
spent  in  preparation  for  the  examinations,  which  con- 
sisted of  inspection  of  all  paper  work  and  of  the  equip- 
ment and  physical  condition  of  the  personnel.  The  men 
not  occupied  constantly  in  preparatory  work  spent  their 
time  drilling  because  it  became  known  that  certain  drill 
work  would  be  called  for  along  with  the  equipment  exam- 


194  ^  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

ination.  On  Tuesday,  March  4th,  promotions  came  for 
several  of  the  officers,  including  Major  James  F.  Clarke, 
to  be  lieutenant-colonel;  Captain  Gray  to  be  major,  and 
Lieutenants  Frank  Walker,  Beeler,  Ricketts,  Crow,  Weh- 
man,  A.  G.  Buehler  and  H.  H.  Buehler  to  be  captains. 
It  was  on  the  same  date  that  Lieutenant  Colonel  Clarke 
reported  the  organization  as  being  ready  for  examination, 
and  answer  was  received  that  the  equipment  inspection 
would  be  held  Thursday. 

Few  beehives  or  anthills  have  seen  more  activity  in  a 
twenty-four-hour  period  than  that  which  was  exhibited  in 
St.  Sebastien  on  Wednesday,  so  that  by  the  time  the  men 
went  to  their  bunks  at  night  the  town  was  in  perfect  order. 

The  next  morning — the  fearful  one — dawned  on  a 
spick  and  span  organization  of  Uncle  Sam's  men,  the 
peers  of  whom  probably  did  not  exist  in  the  A.  E.  F.  The 
inspecting  officers  came,  conducted  their  business  in  an 
orderly  manner,  and  left  with  the  statements  that  the  or- 
ganization was  one  of  the  best  they  had  inspected  since 
having  been  assigned  to  that  duty  by  headquarters  at 
Nantes. 

The  afternoon  of  that  day  saw  the  following  officers 
promoted:  Captain  Meyer  to  be  major,  and  Lieutenants 
Hurt,  Funkhouser,  E.  E.  Johnston,  Quimby,  Hitz  and 
D.  S.  Walker  to  be  captains. 

The  night's  sleep  was  broken  for  some  when  Walker 
Marshall  fell  from  his  billet  on  the  second  floor  of  a  barn 
to  the  hard  cobblestone  street  below  and  was  left  stunned. 
It  was  a  matter  of  several  weeks  before  all  the  "kinks" 
were  overcome. 

Friday  saw  the  paper  work  inspected  and  passed,  leav- 
ing only  the  physical  tests  between  the  unit  and  departure 
for  St.  Nazaire,  so  once  more  "open  season"  was  pro- 
claimed for  rumors.  That  day  chanced  to  be  March  7th. 


"Homeward  Bound"  195 

It  was  April  9th  when  the  journey  onward  was  continued, 
leaving  a  full  month,  during  which  time  weighed  very 
heavily,  as  the  only  possible  anticipations  were  those  of 
continuing  the  trip.  Only  occasional  long  hikes  through 
the  surrounding  country  and  trips  into  Nantes,  where  an 
excellent  opera  could  be  heard  almost  any  evening,  broke 
the  strain  of  impatient  waiting.  A  canteen  offering  a  lib- 
eral assortment  of  candy,  cigarettes  and  "Lu-Lu  Biscuits" 
was  established  by  "Red"  Jackson  and  did  a  flourishing 
business. 

Comrades  who  had  been  hard  by  in  Contrexeville  for 
many  months — members  of  Base  Hospital  31  of  Youngs- 
town,  Ohio — once  more  became  comrades  on  Sunday, 
March  i6th,  when  their  train  pulled  into  Nantes  after  the 
tedious  trip  from  Contrexeville.  They  too  were  billeted 
in  St.  Sebastien. 

Sad  news  broke  into  camp  on  the  following  Sunday, 
March  23rd,  when  word  was  received  from  Nantes  that 
"Dad"  Bryant,  a  cook  with  the  organization,  had  been 
found  dead  on  the  street  the  preceding  day.  Bryant,  past 
middle  age,  had  served  with  a  line  organization,  but  was 
sent  to  the  hospital  for  treatment  after  some  time  at  the 
front,  where  doctors  said  his  constitution  could  not  stand 
the  strain.  Upon  reaching  the  convalescent  state,  he  soon 
proved  himself  to  be  a  good  cook,  so  the  red  tape  was 
started  in  an  effort  to  effect  his  transfer  to  the  organiza- 
tion, which  ultimately  was  brought  about. 

Thursday,  April  3rd,  saw  a  track  and  field  meet  in  St. 
Sebastien,  the  participating  organizations  being  Base 
Hospitals  32,  41  and  45,  Mobile  Hospital  i  and  Evacua- 
tion Hospital  I,  the  members  of  32  winning  the  meet  in  a 
fairly  easy  manner. 

On  the  same  day  word  was  received  that  all  of  the 
officers  would  leave  the  following  morning  for  St.  Na- 


196  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Zaire  to  board  a  homeward-bound  ship,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Major  Gray,  Captains  Hitz  and  Quimby,  Lieu- 
tenants Callis  and  Fishback,  whose  fates  it  was  thought 
at  the  time  were  definitely  sealed  with  those  of  the  men. 
The  officers  who  left  for  St.  Nazaire  at  this  time  were 
Lieutenant  Colonels  J.  F.  Clarke  and  H.  J.  Whitacre, 
Majors  J.  F.  Herrick  and  A.  H.  Meyer,  Captains  J.  W. 
Ricketts,  E.  E.  Johnston,  E.  H.  Buehler,  E.  Funkhouser, 
F.  C.  Walker,  D.  S.  Walker,  L.  D.  James,  A.  G.  Buehler, 
P.  T.  Hurt,  L  N.  Crow,  E.  J.  Wehman  and  R.  C.  Beeler 
and  Lieutenants  F.  R.  Mehler,  K.  L.  Johnston  and  C.  C. 
Duck.  The  following  day  these  officers  boarded  the  U.  S. 
S.  Zeelandia,  sailing  from  St.  Nazaire  on  April  5th  and 
arriving  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  April  17th.  From  here  they 
proceeded  to  Camp  Jackson,  Columbia,  S.  C,  where  a 
few  of  them  were  discharged  and  others  received  trans- 
portation to  discharge  camps  nearest  their  respective 
homes. 

On  April  8th,  five  days  after  the  departure  of  these 
officers  from  St.  Sebastien,  the  discouraged  and  impatient 
remnants  of  32,  now  under  the  command  of  Major  Gray, 
received  the  following  order: 

Services  of  Supply 
Headquarters  U.  S.  Troops,  Nantes 
Base  Section  No.  1 
Special  Orders  April  8,  1919. 

No.  99  Extract. 

2.  Pursuant  to  telegraphic  instructions  (47-Gl-B)  Headquarters, 
Base  Section  No.  1,  dated  April  8,  1919,  the  following-named  or- 
ganizations : 

***** 

Base  Hospital  No.  32 — St.  Sebastien — 5  officers  and  136  enlisted 

men, 

***** 

will  proceed  from  stations  set  opposite  their  organizations,  on  April 
9,  1919,  to  St.  Nazaire,  Loire  Inf.,  reporting  upon  arrival  to  the 


DETAIL   IXSTALLIXC.   TANK   AT   (;.\RA<:E 


■BAKIXf."  IX  THE  CLASS  IIOTSE 


"Homeward  Bound"  197 

Commanding  Officer,  Embarkation  Camp,  for  return  to  the  United 
States,  on  the  first  available  transports. 

The  R.  T.  O,  will  furnish  the  necessary  transportation. 
The  journey  directed  is  necessary  in  the  public  service. 
By  order  of  Colonel  Knudsen. 
Official :  Clark  P.  Chandler, 

J,  F.  Stevens,  Chief  of  Staff. 

Adjutant. 

In  anticipation  of  these  glad  tidings,  the  "house  had 
been  put  in  order,"  so  that  little  was  left  to  be  done  the 
next  morning  other  than  to  roll  packs  and  "police"  billets, 
which  was  accomplished  in  "jig  time." 

The  start  from  the  station  at  Nantes  was  made  at  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  April  9th,  and  the  train  ar- 
rived in  St.  Nazaire  about  five  o'clock.  The  members  of 
the  organization  were  conducted  to  what  was  known  as 
Embarkation  Camp  No.  2  and  set  down  in  the  midst  of 
thousands  of  others  whose  eyes  focused  clearly  in  one 
direction  only — the  west — which  at  that  time  was  synony- 
mous with  home. 

Early  next  morning  found  the  men  taking  the  chief 
role  in  what  was  more  or  less  affectionately  termed  a 
"three-ring  circus,"  but  which  in  fact  was  another  exami- 
nation— physical  this  time.  The  name  was  occasioned  by 
the  manner  in  which  the  examination  was  conducted 
within  the  walls  of  a  large  building  with  various  stalls, 
fenced  areas,  aisles  and  other  mazes.  It  required  some 
fifteen  minutes  to  complete  the  examination  of  approxi- 
mately 180  men  from  head  to  foot.  In  soldiers'  terms,  it 
was  "very  snappy." 

Glad  tidings  were  received  immediately  after  the  ex- 
amination, when  a  detail  of  sixty  men  was  called  for  duty 
all  day  as  kitchen  police  at  the  general  mess  hall  where 
thousands  were  fed  at  each  meal.  No  soldier  went  to  any 
assigned  task  grumbling,  but  in  truth  it  must  be  said  that 


198  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

the  sixty  "lucky"  men  did  not  fall  to  this  job  in  any  spirit 
of  careless  abandon.  They  did  the  work  nobly,  however; 
so  nobly  that  a  note  was  sent  to  the  commanding  officer 
saying  it  was  the  best  detail  that  had  served  in  the  kitchen 
at  any  time  since  the  camp  had  been  opened. 

The  glory  of  the  commendatory  note  was  dampened 
somewhat  the  next  morning  when  a  request  came  for  an 
additional  sixty  men  to  serve  for  the  second  day.  Fortu- 
nately for  the  men,  however,  word  was  received  soon  after 
to  the  efifect  that  the  unit  would  move  at  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  to  Camp  No.  i,  which  was  one  step 
nearer  home.  The  move  was  made  on  schedule  time,  and 
the  men  went  through  the  second  "three-ring  circus"  in 
as  many  days,  this  trip  being  through  the  debusing  plant, 
where,  in  addition  to  eradicating  the  pests,  if  they  existed, 
a  competent  system  of  wrinkling  and  shrinking  clothes  in 
their  delousing  process  had  been  devised. 

Word  was  received  from  the  camp  adjutant  in  the  eve- 
ning of  that  day,  April  nth,  that  the  entire  enlisted  per- 
sonnel of  the  unit,  together  with  two  officers,  would  board 
the  U.  S.  S.  Freedom  on  April  13th  and  start  the  return 
ocean  journey.  The  two  officers  selected  were  Major 
Gray  and  Captain  Hitz,  which  left  Captain  Quimby  and 
Lieutenants  Callis  and  Fishback  as  casuals. 

During  the  seven  weeks  that  Base  Hospital  32  had 
spent  in  the  embarkation  area  there  were  a  number  of 
changes  in  personnel  in  addition  to  those  already  men- 
tioned. On  March  7th  Captain  Robert  M.  Moore  was 
transferred  to  the  embarkation  center  at  LeMans  for  duty. 
Other  transfers,  resulting  in  most  cases  from  application 
for  discharge  in  France,  caused  the  following  names  to 
be  dropped  from  the  sailing  lists:  Jay  B.  McElwayne, 
John  McArdle,  William  N.  McClure  and  Winters  Fehr. 

The   sailing  lists   as   finally   approved   contained   the 


llRSr     KTA(.E.   IIDSI'ITAL  A 


"Homeward  Bound"  199 

names  of  two  officers  and  179  enlisted  men,  of  whom  130 
were  members  of  the  original  unit  of  Base  Hospital  32 
and  forty-nine  of  Unit  R. 

Saturday,  April  12th,  found  the  men  passing  what 
proved  to  be  their  last  inspection  of  any  kind  in  France, 
when  in  the  morning  they  laid  out  their  packs  before  the 
examining  officers. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  Sunday,  April  13th,  the  men 
lined  up  on  the  rain-soaked  parade  grounds,  and  shortly 
after  daybreak  started  on  the  two-mile  march  to  the  docks. 
It  was  raining,  but  for  all  that  it  was  about  the  brightest, 
sunniest  day  in  32's  history,  and  the  men  filed  up  the  gang- 
plank wet  but  happy  with  the  knowledge  that  the  long- 
awaited  sailing  orders  had  finlly  come  true.  At  about 
noon  the  Freedom  cast  off  and  amid  the  cheers  and  songs 
of  those  on  board  pulled  slowly  out  to  sea. 

The  Freedom,  a  small  German  freighter  of  doubtful 
seaworthiness,  which  had  recently  been  converted  into  a 
transport,  was  built  along  the  general  lines  of  a  toothpick. 
What  she  lacked  in  beam  she  made  up  in  length. 
Whether  or  not  this  peculiar  construction  was  respon- 
sible for  her  even  more  peculiar  actions  at  sea  is  not 
known.  She  had  a  sickening  habit  of  rolling  from  one 
side  to  the  other  with  the  regularity  of  a  pendulum. 
Rough  weather  or  calm  mattered  little.  The  Freedom 
rolled  on  through  the  smoothest  seas,  giving  a  perfect  imi- 
tation of  a  floundering  ship  battling  with  the  after  swell 
of  a  hurricane. 

Inquiry  among  the  crew  developed  that  the  Freedom 
was  rated  as  a  "ten-day"  boat,  but  this  was  her  maiden 
voyage  as  a  transport,  and  her  time  was  largely  a  matter 
of  speculation.  In  addition  to  her  crew,  the  Freedom  ac- 
commodated twenty-seven  officers  and  some  twelve  hun- 
dred men.  Among  the  other  organizations  on  board  were 


200  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

Base  Hospital   25   of  Cincinnati,   Base   Hospital    19  of 
Rochester  and  Base  Hospital  17  of  Detroit. 

Captain  Ray  L.  Huff  of  Parnassus,  Pa.,  commanding 
officer  of  the  First  Trench  Mortar  Battery,  was  military 
commander  of  the  boat  and  Colonel  L.  D.  Carter  was 
chief  medical  officer. 

Except  for  the  "abandon  ship"  drills—grim  reminders 
of  the  days  on  the  George  Washington — there  was  little 
to  suggest  the  former  voyage.  Port-holes  were  opened 
wide,  lights  were  unveiled,  and  the  men  smoked  on  deck 
after  dark  at  their  pleasure.  The  ship's  course  and  loca- 
tion, instead  of  being  the  dark  secret  that  it  was  on  the 
former  voyage,  was  posted  daily  in  the  officers'  dining 
room,  and  crowds  of  homesick  passengers  marked  the 
progress  and  measured  the  distance  still  to  be  covered. 

Fatigue  clothes  were  issued  to  the  men  to  protect  their 
regulation  uniforms.  Sleeping  quarters  were  policed 
daily,  and  frequent  physical  inspections  served  to  kill 
time  if  nothing  more.  A  boxing  match  was  staged  on  the 
well  deck  one  evening,  and  one  morning  a  school  of 
whales,  blowing  and  splashing  not  far  from  the  ship,  pro- 
vided a  novel  but  brief  entertainment. 

For  the  most  part,  however,  the  voyage  was  uneventful 
and  tiresome.  With  the  Freedom  a  week  out  of  St.  Na- 
zaire  and  still  not  half  across,  it  became  apparent  that  she 
lacked  a  good  deal  of  being  a  ten-day  boat.  Rough 
weather  had  slowed  her  up  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  but  even 
in  a  calm  sea  she  seemed  to  fairly  creep  along.  The  days 
dragged  by.  The  ship's  canteen  ran  out  of  everything 
desirable,  as  ship's  canteens  have  a  habit  of  doing. 
The  mess  deteriorated.  The  U.  S.  S.  Leviathan  which, 
eastward  bound  to  Brest,  had  passed  the  Freedom  on  the 
second  day  out,  passed  her  again  on  the  twelfth  day  west- 
ward bound.    Frantic  cries  from  the  Freedom  to  "throw 


"Homeward  Bound"  201 

us  a  line"  and  "give  us  a  tow"  fell  on  deaf  ears,  and  the 
Leviathan  steamed  on,  and  was  a  mere  speck  on  the  west- 
ern horizon  in  less  than  an  hour. 

Saturday,  April  26th,  the  thirteenth  day  out  from  St. 
Nazaire,  marked  the  beginning  of  the  last  lap  of  the 
homeward  voyage.  The  chart  on  the  bulletin  board 
showed  the  Freedom  a  scant  forty-eight  hours  from  shore, 
and  it  was  definitely  announced  for  the  first  time  that  the 
port  of  debarkation  would  be  New  York.  Heretofore  the 
Freedom's  destination  had  been  a  matter  of  speculation 
depending  entirely  upon  wireless  instructions  to  be  re- 
ceived as  the  ship  approached  the  United  States. 

On  Sunday,  April  27th,  hopes  and  anticipations  ran 
high.  A  number  of  wireless  messages  were  delivered 
from  waiting  relatives  and  friends.  Orders  and  instruc- 
tions were  issued  in  regard  to  debarkation,  and  the  order 
in  which  the  different  organizations  would  debark  was 
announced.  Fatigue  clothes  were  turned  back  to  the  ship, 
and  the  men  donned  their  regulation  uniforms.  It  was 
no  mere  rumor.  The  Freedom  was  due  into  port  at  an 
early  hour  the  following  morning,  Monday,  April  28th, 
the  fifteenth  day  out  of  St.  Nazaire. 

Dawn  found  everybody  up,  with  the  Freedom  just  out- 
side the  harbor.  Then,  through  lifting  mists  a  kaleido- 
scopic panorama  that  will  never  be  forgotten — the  Statue 
of  Liberty,  a  sky  line  of  majestic  buildings,  battleships 
and  fantastically  camouflaged  steamers.  There  was  a 
short  delay  while  quarantine  officials  boarded  the  boat, 
and  then  the  Freedom,  amid  cheers  and  music  and  the  in- 
cessant tooting  of  a  hundred  whistles,  threaded  her  way 
into  port  and  docked  on  the  Brooklyn  side. 

By  ten  o'clock  the  personnel  of  Base  Hospital  32  was 
ofif  the  Freedom,  and  by  noon  the  baggage  was  unloaded 
and  sorted  up  on  the  pier.  Scarcely  a  block  away  a  recep- 


202  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

tion  committee  of  the  Base  Hospital  32  Auxiliary  Asso- 
ciation and  a  little  group  of  relatives  and  friends  waited 
in  the  hope  of  gaining  access  to  the  pier.  But  they  might 
just  as  well  have  stayed  in  New  York.  A  dozen  guards 
offered  an  impregnable  barrier  in  either  direction. 
Bribes,  threats  and  persuasion  availed  nothing.  No  one 
left  the  pier  and  no  one  entered  it.  A  few  notes  and  mes- 
sages were  exchanged,  but  that  was  all. 

Lunch  was  served  on  the  dock,  and  the  time  dragged 
by.  As  accustomed  as  the  unit  was  to  delays,  they  found 
this  wait  on  the  pier  the  most  trying  of  all.  It  was  almost 
five  o'clock  when  the  ferry  finally  appeared  and  the  men 
filed  on.  A  few  minutes  later  they  were  on  the  other  side, 
where,  after  another  brief  delay  and  an  excellent  supper 
served  "on  the  run"  by  the  Red  Cross,  they  boarded  an 
electric  train  for  Camp  Mills.  Here  they  were  met  by 
guides  and  marched  to  the  tents  assigned  them. 

Four  days  were  spent  at  Camp  Mills  with  little  to  take 
up  the  time  except  the  usual  physical  examinations  and  a 
few  exchanges  and  replacements  of  clothing  at  the  quar- 
termaster depot.  On  Friday,  May  2nd,  Major  Gray,  Cap- 
tain Hitz  and  all  of  the  remaining  enlisted  men  of  the 
original  unit  were  transferred  to  Camp  Merrit,  New  Jer- 
sey, leaving  behind  the  forty-nine  enlisted  men  of  Unit  R 
— then  known  as  the  Camp  Dodge  detachment  of  Base 
Hospital  32. 

On  Monday,  May  5th,  after  three  days  at  Camp  Mer- 
ritt.  Base  Hospital  32  boarded  a  train  for  Camp  Zachary 
Taylor  with  the  150th  Field  Artillery  under  the  com- 
mand of  Colonel  Robert  Tyndall  of  Indianapolis.  The 
train  was  routed  over  the  New  York  Central  Lines  to  In- 
dianapolis, where  it  was  to  arrive  on  May  7th  and  remain 
all  day,  allowing  the  organization  to  participate  in  the 
Victory   parade,   a   feature   of   the   Indianapolis   home- 


"Homeward  Bound"  203 

coming  celebration.  The  arrival  at  Indianapolis  on  the 
morning  of  the  7th  marked  another  day  that  will  live  long 
in  the  memory  of  "32."  Seventeen  months  had  passed  since 
their  departure  from  Fort  Harrison,  December  i,  1917, 
and  to  most  of  the  men  Indianapolis  meant  "home."  Fa- 
miliar stations  where  newsboys  called  the  Indianapolis 
Star  marked  the  train's  approach  to  the  city.  Then  the 
suburbs,  and  Indianapolis— Brightwood,  Massachusetts 
Avenue,  and  a  glimpse  of  the  monument  standing  out 
against  an  old  familiar  skyline. 

It  was  about  nine  o'clock  when  the  train  pulled  in  and 
stopped  west  of  the  Union  Station.  Here,  after  a  brief 
delay  "32"  detrained  and  marched  directly  to  Military 
Park,  where  crowds  of  relatives  and  friends,  and  many  of 
the  "32"  officers  were  gathered  to  meet  them.  Luncheon 
and  refreshments  were  distributed  freely.  Nobody's 
money  was  good.  Little  groups  of  reunited  families 
chatted  gayly;  old  friends  greeted  one  another  after 
months  of  separation.  Two  hours  passed  quickly  and  then 
the  parade  began  to  form. 

Delay  followed  delay,  but  the  parade  finally  started. 
Indianapolis  was  in  gala  attire  for  the  celebration.  A 
thousand  flags  marked  the  line  of  march  and  enthusiastic 
crowds  lined  the  streets — east  on  Washington  to  Alabama, 
back  to  Meridian,  up  Meridian  to  the  monument,  through 
the  flower-strewn  victory  arch  and  around  the  Circle, 
then  north  and  east  to  Delaware  Street,  out  Delaware  to 
Sixteenth,  west  to  Meridian  and  south  again  to  the  Circle. 
It  was  late  afternoon  when  the  parade  reached  Washing- 
ton Street  again  and  "32"  marched  directly  to  the  waiting 
train. 

About  nine  o'clock  that  night  the  train  pulled  into 
Camp  Taylor,  and  the  following  morning  the  business  of 
getting  out  of  the  army  began.    Thursday  and  Friday 


204  ^  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

were  spent  in  checking  the  organization  records  and  turn- 
ing them  in  to  the  camp  authorities,  together  with  all  of 
the  remaining  organization  equipment.  Meanwhile  the 
members  of  the  unit  were  occupied  with  physical  exami- 
nations, lectures,  and  the  signing  of  an  endless  variety  of 
papers,  all  necessary  to  comply  with  the  requirements  of 
discharge.  Individual  equipment  in  excess  of  the  items 
of  uniform  allowed  each  man  upon  leaving  the  service 
were  taken  up  by  the  camp  quartermaster,  and  the  men 
received  their  final  pay,  together  with  the  authorized 
bonus,  and  transportation  to  their  homes. 

On  Saturday,  May  10,  1919,  every  member  of  the  unit 
was  honorably  discharged,  and  Base  Hospital  32  ceased 
to  exist. 

Two  days  later  the  forty-nine  enlisted  men  of  Hospital 
Unit  R  were  discharged  at  Camp  Dodge.  With  the  trans- 
fer of  Base  Hospital  No.  32  under  the  command  of  Major 
Gray  to  Camp  Merritt,  these  men,  known  then  as  Camp 
Dodge  Detachment  of  Base  Hospital  No.  32,  were  left  at 
Camp  Mills. 

They  remained  there  for  ten  days  with  nothing  to  do 
but  go  sightseeing  in  New  York,  and  then  on  May  9th 
boarded  a  train  with  300  other  troops  under  the  command 
of  Second  Lieutenant  C.  D.  Kaslen  of  Huron,  S.  D.,  and 
left  at  seven  o'clock  that  evening  for  Des  Moines.  The 
next  morning  about  ten  o'clock  the  train  arrived  at  Niag- 
ara Falls.  Three  hours  were  spent  there,  and  then,  speed- 
ing through  a  section  of  Canada,  Detroit  was  reached  at 
eight  o'clock  that  night.  Coming  into  Chicago  the  next 
morning  the  train  was  switched  from  the  Wabash  and 
Grand  Trunk  tracks  to  the  Rock  Island,  and  the  last  lap 
of  the  trip  was  begun. 

At  three  o'clock  on  what  seemed  to  them  to  be  the  most 
beautiful  of  all  Iowa  Sunday  afternoons,  the  men  of  Hos- 


VMXTER  SCENE  NEAR  ((  )NTREXkVILLE 


■TN-: 


f-   »-. 


^-^^^'-% 


^ 


'Homeward  Bound" 


205 


pital  Unit  R  crossed  over  the  Mississippi  singing,  "Iowa, 
My  Iowa."  It  was  the  first  vision  of  their  beloved  state  in 
eighteen  months,  and  a  very  different  vision  than  they  had 
when  they  left  Fairfield  in  a  blinding  snowstorm  two 
winters  before. 

At  eight  o'clock  they  reached  Des  Moines  and  two 
hours  later  were  installed  at  Camp  Dodge.  By  6  p.  m. 
the  next  day,  Monday,  May  12,  1919,  all  the  members  had 
been  discharged  from  the  service  and  were  on  the  way  to 
their  homes  in  the  southeastern  corner  of  Iowa. 


XV 

The  Auxiliary  Association 

TWO  weeks  after  the  departure  of  Base  Hospital  32 
from  Fort  Benjamin  Harrison  a  letter  signed  by 
Richard  O.  Johnson,  the  father  of  Richard  K.  Johnson,  a 
member  of  the  unit,  was  sent  to  the  near  relatives  of  the 
officers,  nurses,  enlisted  men  and  civilian  employees,  sug- 
gesting the  advisability  of  organizing  an  auxiliary  asso- 
ciation to  provide  gifts  and  comforts  for  the  unit.  Mr. 
Johnson  urged  all  who  might  be  interested  to  attend  a 
meeting  in  the  Palm  Room  of  the  Claypool  Hotel  on 
December  18. 

His  suggestion  met  with  an  immediate  and  enthusiastic 
response.  More  than  three  hundred  relatives  and  friends 
of  members  of  the  unit  were  present  at  the  meeting,  where 
Mr.  Johnson  was  nominated  as  permanent  chairman  of 
the  association,  and  an  organization  committee  composed 
of  the  following  persons  was  appointed:  J.  K.  Lilly, 
W.  P.  Herod,  Benjamin  F.  Hitz,  Charles  B.  Maugham, 
Cass  Connaway,  Mrs.  Edward  J.  O'Reilly,  Mrs.  P.  E. 
McCown  and  Mrs.  E.  B.  Mumford. 

The  organization  adopted  the  name:  Auxiliary  Associ- 
ation of  Base  Hospital  32,  and  Mr.  Johnson,  the  president, 
through  correspondence  with  Surgeon  General  William  C. 
Gorgas,  secured  the  official  endorsement  of  the  Medical 
Department  of  the  U.  S.  Army  for  the  association.  The 
following  cablegram  was  sent  to  the  unit  shortly  after  the 
first  meeting:  "Your  home  auxiliary,  composed  of  rela- 
tives and  friends,  officered  and  organizing  with  prospec- 
tive membership  of  several  hundred,  greets  you,  your  of- 
ficers and  members  of  unit.  Advise  us  at  once  of  any 
funds  or  material  required,  or  any  services  we  can  render 
now  or  at  any  time.  We  are  in  with  you  to  the  finish." 

206 


The  Auxiliary  Association  207 

The  officers  of  the  association,  in  addition  to  Mr.  John- 
son, were:  Charles  B.  Maugham,  secretary;  Benjamin  F. 
Hitz,  treasurer;  Rev.  Lewis  Brown,  chaplain,  and  Mrs. 
Benjamin  D.  Hitz,  corresponding  secretary. 

The  executive  committee,  of  which  Mr.  Johnson  was 
chairman,  was  composed  of  the  officers  and  J.  K.  Lilly, 
Dr.  O.  G.  Pfaff,  W.  P.  Herod,  Cass  Connaway,  J.  B.  Giles, 
Mrs.  H.  R.  Beery,  Mrs.  E.  D.  Clark,  Mrs.  Bernays  Ken- 
nedy, Miss  Margaret  McCulloch,  Mrs.  E.  B.  Mumford, 
Miss  Ruth  Maxwell,  Mrs.  P.  E.  McCown,  Mrs.  Edward 
Dean,  Mrs.  E.  J.  O'Reilly  and  John  F.  Russell. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  chairman  of  the  finance  committee, 
Mr.  Benjamin  F.  Hitz  of  the  transportation  committee, 
Mr.  Charles  B.  Maugham  of  the  publicity  committee. 
Dr.  O.  G.  Pfafif  of  the  medical  advisory  committee.  Rev. 
Lewis  Brown  of  the  home  relief  advisory  committee,  Mr. 
Cass  Connaway  of  the  legal  advisory  committee,  Mr. 
Wm.  Pirtle  Herod  of  the  information  and  communica- 
tion committee  and  Miss  Margaret  Gerin  of  the  nurses 
advisory  committee. 

Mrs.  Bernays  Kennedy  was  elected  general  chairman 
of  twenty  comfort  committees  headed  by  the  following 
women:  Mrs.  A.  B.  Graham,  Mrs.  C.  D.  Humes,  Mrs. 
E.  B.  Mumford,  Miss  Ruth  Maxwell,  Mrs.  G.  L.  Sparks, 
Mrs.  Cass  Connaway,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Sanagan,  Mrs.  H.  A. 
Porter,  Miss  G.  F.  McHugh,  Mrs.  E.  H.  Dean,  Mrs.  E. 
J.  O'Reilly,  Mrs.  J.  R.  Maugham,  Mrs.  T.  O.  Callis, 
Mrs.  B.  F.  Hitz,  Mrs.  R.  C.  Beeler,  Mrs.  P.  T.  Hurt, 
Mrs.  W.  Baldwin,  Mrs.  Steffen  and  Mrs.  R.  O.  Johnson. 

Headquarters  for  the  comfort  committee  were  opened 
at  45  Monument  Circle,  over  the  Circle  Flower  Store, 
and  here  supplies  of  wool  for  socks  were  given  out,  fin- 
ished articles  turned  in,  boxes  packed  and  meetings  held. 
Mrs.  P.  E.  McCown  became  chairman  of  the  supplies 
and  packing  committee. 


2o8  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

In  January  the  auxiliary  association  ordered  fifty  boxes 
of  apples  shipped  from  New  York  to  the  base  hospital. 
Early  in  May  a  letter  was  received  from  Major  H.  H. 
Van  Kirk,  commanding  officer  of  Base  Hospital  32, 
acknowledging  the  receipt  of  the  apples,  which  had  ar- 
rived in  excellent  condition  and  were  much  appreciated. 

The  membership  fee  for  the  auxiliary  association  was 
fixed  at  $5.00  a  year  and  membership  blanks  were  mailed 
to  all  those  who  were  likely  to  be  interested.  The  response 
was  encouraging,  and  in  the  course  of  three  months  more 
than  two  hundred  members  were  enrolled. 

The  Brunswick  Shop  very  kindly  donated  a  phono- 
graph and  a  number  of  records  to  the  base  hospital,  and 
through  the  co-operation  of  the  auxiliary  association  these 
articles  were  shipped  to  the  unit  and  proved  a  very  wel- 
come gift. 

A  large  quantity  of  yarn  for  socks  was  purchased  by  the 
auxiliary  association  with  funds  from  the  treasury  and 
was  distributed  by  the  comfort  committees  to  be  knitted. 
During  the  winter  425  pairs  of  wool  socks,  a  number  of 
bright-colored  knitted  afghans,  several  bed  quilts  and  pil- 
lows and  a  comfort  kit  for  each  nurse  in  the  unit  were 
collected  and  packed.  Various  difficulties  with  govern- 
ment shipping  regulations  delayed  the  shipment  of  these 
articles,  but  they  were  sent  late  in  the  spring  and  received 
by  the  unit  in  the  summer. 

The  comfort  committee  attended  to  the  making,  pack- 
ing and  shipping  of  gray  sleeveless  sweaters  for  the  nurses 
to  wear  over  their  uniforms.  These  sweaters  formed  the 
last  shipment  to  Base  Hospital  32  made  by  the  auxiliary 
association,  for  with  the  signing  of  the  armistice  on  No- 
vember 1 1  the  activities  of  the  association  ceased.  Various 
articles  collected  after  the  shipment  of  nurses'  sweaters — 
handkerchiefs,    socks,    afghans   and   other   things — were 


The  Auxiliary  Association  209 

turned  over  to  the  Near  East  Relief  Fund,  according  to 
the  decision  of  the  executive  committee. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  members  of  the  Auxiliary 
Association  of  Base  Hospital  32 : 

Mrs.  Anna  Alkire,  Gertrude  F.  Allen,  Joel  E.  Allen,  Mrs.  Neff 
Ashworth,  George  F.  Asperger,  William  H.  Avant; 

Mrs.  W.  H.  Baker,  Mrs.  Wilbur  Baldwin,  Mrs.  H.  Power  Ball, 
John  H.  Bechtel,  Mrs.  Raymond  C.  Beeler,  Mrs.  Harry  R.  Beery, 
Mrs.  Bruce  Bendley,  Albert  Berg,  Mrs.  L.  W.  Berry,  Iradell  Bean, 
Dr.  R.  J.  Blakeman,  Walter  Bonner,  H.  L.  Blumenthal,  Mrs.  C.  S. 
Bradley,  Rev.  Lewis  Brown,  Geo.  A.  Bittler,  Helen  T.  Brosnan, 
James  G.  Brosnan,  Myrtle  Brooks,  Orilla  Borders,  Helen  Burdette, 
Mrs.  Mary  D.  Byrnes ; 

Annie  Galley,  Mrs.  T.  O.  Callis,  Mrs.  Margaret  Carroll,  Margaret 
Cassidy,  Mrs.  Alice  M.  Cathcart,  E.  L.  Cline,  Mrs.  Mayme  Beeler 
Combs,  Cass  Connaway,  Mrs.  J.  L.  Cooke,  John  L.  Cooke,  Charles 
M.  Cooper,  Mrs.  Nellie  Corrigan,  Mary  E.  Corrigan,  Mrs.  Benjamin 
Cotharin,  L.  A.  Cox ; 

Mrs.  Mary  Drozdowitz,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Delaney,  Hugh  J.  Davey, 
Mrs.  A.  N.  Daugherty,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward  H.  Dean,  Belle  Noble 
Dean,  Rosamond  H.  Drake,  Frank  Drake,  Mrs.  O.  C.  Dunn ; 

C.  E.  Erdmann  &  Son,  Will  V.  Erdmann,  Mrs.  Will  Erdmann, 
Mrs.  Lewis  Essig,  Mrs.  B.  E.  Ernest,  Mrs.  Scott  R.  Edwards,  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  J.  H.  Eberwein ; 

John  P.  Frenzel,  Jr.,  Frenzel  Bros.,  Mrs.  J.  A.  Finlay,  J.  O. 
Finlay,  Mrs.  William  Fickenger,  Mrs.  Otto  L.  Friend,  Edith  W. 
Fehr,  Louise  M.  Fehr,  Mrs.  H.  R.  Fitton,  Feltman  Shoe  Company, 
Mrs.  Fletcher; 

Mrs.  A.  B.  Graham,  Margaret  L.  Gerin,  J.  B.  Giles,  Mrs.  John  L. 
Griffith,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  O.  E.  Green,  John  W.  Graham,  Mrs.  Agnes 
Graham,  S.  B.  Goodale ; 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  F.  Hitz,  Mrs.  Benjamin  D.  Hitz,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
John  H.  HoUiday,  Gustav  J.  Hess,  Mrs.  Kate  Hunsden,  Mrs.  Ruth 
Hoffman,  Mrs.  Ella  Holloran,  Mrs.  E.  D.  Hill,  Mrs.  Chas.  B.  How- 
land,  Mrs.  Clara  Hildebrand,  Mrs.  Paul  T.  Hurt,  Paul  T.  Hurt,  Jr., 
Dr.  W.  L  Hurt,  Sterling  R.  Holt,  Mrs.  Chas.  D.  Humes ; 

Mrs.  William  Iverson ; 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  O.  Johnson,  Mrs.  Mayme  P.  Judkins,  Dr.  Wm. 


210  A  History  of  Base  Hospital  32 

L.  Jennings,  Mrs.  C.  Rex  Jackson,  Mrs.  Edward  Johnson,  Mrs.  A. 

A.  Judd,  Mrs.  Nellie  Jaffe ; 

Mrs.  Bernays  Kennedy,  Mrs.  Katherine  B.  Kurtz,  Mrs.  Mary  B. 
Kelly,  John  J.  Kelly,  Margaret  Kahle,  Kahn  Tailoring  Company, 
Mrs.  Walter  W.  Kuhn,  S.  O.  Kirkpatrick,  Mrs.  A.  Kurr ; 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  K.  Lilly,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eli  Lilly,  John  Langan, 
Robert  Locke,  Albert  Lieber,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  E.  Lochry ; 

Mrs.  Eugene  B.  Mumford,  Master  Thomas  Mumford,  Jas.  G. 
Morris,  Ruth  R.  Maxwell,  E.  L.  McDonald,  Mrs.  Eugene  C.  Miller, 
Mrs.  A.  V.  Mangus,  W.  T.  Magee,  Mrs.  Cynthia  R.  Maxwell,  Mrs. 
Carrie  R.  McAdams,  Alice  Moore,  H.  P.  Matthews,  Margaret  Mc- 
Culloch,  Mrs.  L.  P.  Marshall,  Mrs.  F.  W.  Merry,  Gertrude  F.  Mc- 
Hugh,  Mrs.  Margaret  E.  McHugh,  Mrs.  Thomas  Mumford,  Stella 
W.  Morrison,  Warren  T.  McCray,  Chas.  B.  Maugham,  Mrs.  Albert 
Miller,  Frances  Morrison,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  P.  E.  McCown ; 

Mrs.  John  C.  New ; 

Lena  Ott,  Mabel  Omer,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  J.  O'Reilly; 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harry  A.  Porter,  Mrs.  Henry  C.  Petcher ; 

Mrs.  L.  A.  Quimby ; 

Mrs.  J.  W.  Ricketts,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jno.  F.  Russell,  E.  Regan, 
Mrs.  Nellie  B.  Ritter,  Dr.  E.  T.  Riley,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  L.  Reeves, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  G.  W.  Reitenour,  Mrs.  Helen  R.  Russell,  Grant 
Routh,  Frank  C.  Rich,  F.  M.  Read,  Jessie  E.  Ribeyre,  Mrs.  Nellie 

B.  Ritter,  Dr.  David  Ross,  Wm.  M.  Reeves,  Lillian  Reeves ; 

Guy  L.  Sparks,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Smith,  Mrs.  Ed.  Snyder,  Mrs.  J.  H. 
Smith,  Robert  E.  Sweeney,  H.  B.  Sheller,  J.  E.  Stephens,  Mrs. 
Frank  Smith,  Mrs.  Blanche  A.  Stough,  George  B.  Shoemaker, 
Chas.  Scholer,  Mr,  and  Mrs.  A.  E.  Sanagan,  A.  F.  Scales,  E.  H. 
Smith,  Elizabeth  Scholer,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Scherer,  Joseph  Sertell,  G. 
A.  Stephens,  Mary  L.  Sullivan,  Katharine  Steinman,  Mrs.  Mary  D. 
Sheerin ; 

Mae  Taylor,  Harry  C.  Thompson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  C.  Thomas, 
John  E.  Travis ; 

Mrs.  F.  C.  Walker,  Florence  Walsh,  Freda  J.  Wagner,  Ava 
Whiteman,  Jacob  A.  White,  W.  H.  Wagner,  Mrs.  Laura  WoodfiU, 
Dr.  H.  H.  Weer,  Faye  Wright,  Mrs.  Roy  L.  Williams,  Mrs.  F.  N. 
Wise; 

Louis  J.  Yorger,  B.  H.  Yarling. 


APPENDIX 

A  COMPLETE  list  of  the  original  members  of  Base 
Hospital  32  and  Unit  R  who  served  with  the  hos- 
pital in  France,  together  with  their  rank,  duty,  detached 
service,  leaves  of  absence  and  other  changes  of  status  ^vhile 
on  duty  with  the  organization.'^" 


Abbreviations:  ARC— American  Red  Cross  ;  Asst— assistant ;  APO— Army 
Post  Office  ;  BH— Base  Hospital ;  BS— Base  Section  ;  Carp— Carpenter  ;  Cent 
— Center;  Civ  Emp — Civilian  Employe;  Co— Company;  CSO— Chief  Sur- 
geon's Office;  Dept— Department ;  Div— Division  ;  DS— Detached  Service; 
EH— Evacuation  Hospital;  Elect— Electrician  ;  Eng— Engineer ;  FA— Field 
Artillery;  ICl— First  Class;  f  r— f  rom  ;  Gen— General ;  Hosp— Hospital ; 
Hdqrs — Headquarters;  Inf— Infantry ;  Lab— Laboratory ;  MP — Military  Po- 
lice; Med— Medical;  MSD— Medical  Supply  Depot;  MTC— Motor  Transport 
Corps;  NCO— Non-Commissioned  Officer;  Plumb— Plumber  ;  QM— Quarter- 
master ;  Rep— Replacement ;  Sec— Section  ;  Sig— Signal ;  SOS— Service  of 
Supplies;   Sup— Supply;   Surg— Surgical ;  Trans — Transferred. 

Albright.  Esther  M. — Nurse,  Night  Supervisor  Hosp  A.     Trans 

BH#90,  1-17-19. 
Alkire,  Hazel— Nurse  Hosp  A.     DS  BH#90,  1-17-19  to  2-5-19. 

Leave  Nice,  11-2-18  to  11-11-18. 
Anderson,  Olga  N.— Nurse  Hosp  A.     DS  BH#15,   12-29-17  to 

1-24-18.     Leave  Nice,  11-25-18  to  12-8-18.     Trans  3rd  Army, 

1-13-19. 
Anderson,  Roy  P.— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18.     Orderly  Hosp  A.     Leave 

St.  Malo,  10-29-18  to  11-14-18. 
Andrews,  Wells  B.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.     Orderly  and  Cook  Hosp 

A-D.    DS  EH#2,  6-24-18  to  6-30-18.    Leave  Grenoble,  12-2-18 

to  12-14-18. 
Anstead,  Robert  C— Pvt  ICl,  8-1-18.     Laboratory  Asst  Hosp  E. 

Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  9-10-18  to  9-24-18;  Nice,  1-10-19  to 

2-9-19. 
Ashe,  John  W.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.     Cook  Hosp  E.     Leave  St. 

Malo,  10-29-18  to  11-14-18. 
Ashworth,  Lewis  N.— Sgt,  1-20-18;  Sgt,  ICl,  5-20-18.     Pharma- 
cist Med  Div  Hosp  E.    DS  MSD#3  Cosne,  10-17-18  to  1-1-19; 

MSD  BS#5  Brest,  1-1-19  to  1-17-19. 


♦Promotions  and  other  changes  of  status  occurring  after  the  transfer  of 
any  individual  from  Base  Hospital  32  are  not  given. 

211 


212  Appendix 

Asperger,  Otto— Corp,  1917;  Sgt  ICl,  1-1-18;  Hosp  Sgt,  10-10-18. 
Registrar  Office,  Hdqrs.  DS  Hdqrs  SOS  Tours,  1-13-19  to 
1-20-19.  Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-7-18  to  7-19-18.  Trans 
Hosp  Cent  Vittel,  2-2-19.    Dropped  fr  Roll  BH#32,  2-2-19. 

At  WOOD,  Irwin  W.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.  Orderly  Hosp  A.  Leave 
Grenoble,  12-13-18  to  12-27-18. 

Bachinger,  Elizabeth— Head  Nurse  Hosp  D.  DS  Paris,  11-12-18 
to  11-17-18.    Leave  Nice,  1-6-19  to  1-16-19. 

Baker,  Earl  L.— Pvt  ICl,  8-1-18;  Sgt,  10-24-18.  Registrar  Office, 
Hdqrs.  DS  BH#15,  12-30-17  to  2-15-18;  Hdqrs  SOS  Tours, 
1-13-19  to  1-20-19.    Leave  Nice,  11-24-18  to  12-7-18. 

Baldwin,  Madge— Nurse  Hosp  C.  DS  42nd  Div,  5-4-18  to  6-27-18. 
Leave  Nice,  12-10-18  to  12-23-18. 

Baldwin,  Wilbur— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.  Orderly  APO.  Leave 
Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-19-18  to  7-31-18;  Salies  du  Sal,  1-27-19 
to  2-3-19. 

Barnett,  Sylvester  W.— Pvt  ICl,  5-20-18;  Surg  Asst,  8-1-18.  Sur- 
gery Hosp  A.    Leave  Grenoble,  12-2-18  to  12-15-18. 

Bartle,  Albert  J.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.  Orderly  Hosp  B.  Leave 
Grenoble,  11-25-18  to  12-7-18. 

Barwise,  John  G.— Sgt,  1-12-18;  Sgt  ICl,  9-20-18.  NCO  in  Charge 
Gen  Detail.    Leave  Nice,  12-10-18  to  12-23-18. 

Bauer,  Philomena — Nurse  Hosp  E.  Leave  Nice,  12-10-18  to 
12-23-18. 

Beck,  Lillie  V.— Nurse  Hosp  A.  DS  Surg  Team  #19,  4-10-18  to 
7-31-18.    Leave  Nice,  11-14-18  to  11-29-18. 

Beck,  Richard— Cook,  9-2-17 ;  Sgt,  2-18-18.  NCO  in  Charge  Kit- 
chen Hosp  A.  DS  St.  Sebastian,  2-20-19  to  2-24-19.  Leave 
Haute  Savoie  Area,  9-10-18  to  9-24-18. 

Beeler,  Raymond  C. — Lieut  1st,  6-1-17;  Capt,  3-5-19.  Roentgen- 
ology, Hosp  A.  DS  N.  Y.  School  of  Roentgenology,  Cornell 
Univ,  8-1-17  to  9-1-17;  BH#15,  2-19-18  to  4-19-18.  Leave 
Nice,  11-11-18  to  11-25-18. 

Beers,  Amy— Asst  Chief  Nurse.  DS  Paris,  7-13-18  to  7-18-18; 
EH#3  Toul,  8-27-18  to  11-2-18.    Leave  Nice,  12-28-18  to  1-9-19. 

Bell,  Grace  S.— Nurse  Hosp  A-D.  Leave  Nice,  12-7-18  to  12- 
20-18.    Trans  3rd  Army,  1-13-19. 

Bennett,  Hazel  P.- Nurse  Hosp  A.  DS  Surg  Team  #20,  4-20-18 
to  11-23-18.    Leave  Nice,  12-13-18  to  12-26-18. 

Berger,  Lowe  F.— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18.  Orderly  Hosp  A.  Leave  St. 
Malo,  10-12-18  to  10-26-18. 

Berger,  Martha  R.— Nurse  Hosp  A-E.  DS  BH#15,  12-29-17  to 
2-4-18.  Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  9-9-18  to  9-27-18.  Trans 
USA,  1-8-19. 


Appendix  213 

Berry,  May— Nurse.    Died  Naval  BH#1,  Brest,  12-30-17. 
BiGGERT,  Helen — Head  Nurse  Hosp  E.     Leave   Nice,   12-8-18  to 

12-19-18. 
BiLTiMiER,   Charles   H.— Pvt   ICl,  9-20-18.     Orderly   Hosp   A-D. 

Leave  Nice,  1-12-19  to  1-25-19. 
Birch,   Nellie  M.— Nurse  Hosp  B-D.     DS  BH#15,   12-29-17  to 

2-4-18.    Leave  Paris,  2-7-19  to  2-11-19. 
Bishop,  Paul— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18;  Corp,  11-18-18.    Operating  Room 

Hosp   A.      Leave   Grenoble,    12-2-18   to    12-15-18;    Chaumont, 

1-29-19  to  2-2-19. 
Blank,   Dora   L.— Nurse  Hosp  A-D.     DS  42nd   Div,   5-4-18  to 

5-27-18.    Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-20-18  to  7-31-18;  Nice, 

1-10-19  to  1-22-19. 
Blumenthal,  Morris— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.  Gen  Detail.  DS  BH#15, 

12-30-17  to  2-15-18.    Leave  Paris,  9-5-18  to  9-10-18;  Grenoble, 

12-9-18  to  12-23-18. 
Borders,  Dixie — Nurse  Hosp  A.     Leave  Biarritz,  8-29-18  to  9- 

10-18.    Trans  BH#90,  1-17-19. 
BosTWicK,  Mary  E. — Civ  Emp.  Registrar  Office,  Hdqrs.    DS  CSO 

Hdqrs  SOS,  Tours,  7-11-18  to  7-28-18. 
BowEN,  Mary  M.— Nurse  Hosp  C.    DS  ARC  Hosp  Paris,  5-2-18  to 

5-18-18;  Baccarat,  6-26-18  to  12-4-18;  Trans  ARC  Hosp  #3, 

12-4-18. 
Bowman,  Thomas — Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18.    Gen  Detail.  Leave  Grenoble, 

12-26-18  to  1-8-19. 
Boyer,  Harry  M.— Pvt.    Orderiy  Hosp  D.    DS  St.  Nazaire,  2-17-19 

to   2-24-19.     Leave    St.    Mala,    10-12-18'  to    10-26-18;    Paris, 

1-29-19  to  2-2-19. 
BoYLES,  Bertha  E.— Nurse  Hosp  A-C.     DS  BH#15,  12-29-17  to 

2-4-18.    Leave  Nice,  12-9-18  to  12-21-18. 
Bradley,  Bernard — Pvt  ICl,  2-1-18.    Gararge  Vittel.    Leave  Gren- 
oble, 12-13-18  to  12-27-18. 
Brewer,   Ralph    J.— Sgt,   9-15-17;   Sgt    ICl,    10-24-18.     NCO   in 

Charge  Hosp  E.    Leave  Nice,  11-8-18  to  11-21-18. 
Brosnan,  William  J.— Pvt  ICl,   10-24-18.     Gen  Detail  and  MP. 

Leave  Grenoble,  12-13-18  to  12-27-18;  Nice,  1-28-19  to  2-9-19. 
Brown,  Harry  M.— Pvt  ICl,  8-1-18.     Barber  &  Orderly  Hosp  E. 

Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-7-18  to  7-19-18. 
Bubelis,   John— Corp,  8-1-18.     Orderly   Hosp   B.     DS   BH#15, 

1-5-18  to  3-18-18.    Leave  Nice,  11-24-18  to  12-7-18. 
Burleson,  Viola  M.— Nurse  Hosp  A-C.    DS  BH#15.  12-29-17  to 

2-4-18.     Leave   Nice,  9-26-18  to   10-8-18.     Trans  3rd   Army, 

1-13-19. 


214  Appendix 

Byrnes,  Harry  F.— Capt,  1917;  Major,  2-11-19.    Chief  Opthalmo- 

logical  Dept  Hosp  A.     DS  Lyons,  4-13-18  to  4-23-18.     Leave 

Nice,  7-4-18  to  7-25-18;   Nice,    12-12-18  to   12-14-18.     Trans 

Hosp  Cent  Savenay,  1-2-19. 
Callis,  Harold  B.— Corp,   1917;   Sgt,  9-15-17;   Sgt   ICl,   1-1-18; 

Lieut  1st,  7-1-18.     Mess  Officer.     Leave  Nice,  11-18-18  to  12- 

2-18;  Paris,  2-2-19  to  2-10-19.     Detached,  4-11-19. 
Campbell,  Clarence  L.— Corp,  8-1-18;  Sgt,  11-18-18.     In  Charge 

Office  Hosp  E.     DS  BH#15,  12-30-17  to  2-15-18.     Leave  St. 

Malo,  10-29-18  to  11-14-18. 
Cantrall,  Archibald  M.— Pvt  ICl,   10-24-18.     Orderly  Hosp  A. 

DS  EH #2,  6-24-18  to  6-30-18.     Leave  Grenoble,   12-26-18  to 

1-8-19. 
Caris,  Merle  C— Surg  Asst,   10-24-18.     Hosp  A.     Leave  Haute 

Savoie  Area,  9-10-18  to  9-24-18. 
Carroll,  John  P.— Corp,  1918 ;  Sgt,  1918.    Asst  Nose  and  Throat 

Dept  Hosp  A.    DS  MSD  #3,  Cosne,  10-17-18  to  1-20-19.    Leave 

Haute  Savoie  Area,  8-22-18  to  9-4-18. 
Carter,  Charles— Gen  Detail  &  Commissary,  Vittel.     DS  BH#15, 

12-30-17  to  2-15-18 ;  Vittel,  7-12-18  to  2-21-19.    Leave  Grenoble, 

12-9-18  to  12-23-18. 
Cathcart,  Charlotte— Civ  Emp.     Secy  Chief  Surg  Sec  Hosp  A. 

DS  Savenay,  10-24-18  to  10-26-18.     Leave  Paris,  7-13-18  to 

7-18-18. 
Chapman,  Colby  L.— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18.     MP  &  Orderly  Hosp  A. 

DS  BH#15,  12-30-17  to  2-15-18.    Leave  Grenoble,  12-13-18  to 

12-27-18. 
Clark,  Edmund  D.— Major,  6-20-17,  Lt-Col.  6-6-18.     Command- 
ing Officer.     DSi  Surg  Team  *19,  4-9-18  to  4-20-18.     Leave 

Nice,    12-18-18   to    12-28-18.      Trans    Casual    Officers'    Camp, 

Angers,  1-14-19. 
Clarke,  James  F.— Major,   1917;   Lt-Col,   3-5-19.     Commanding 

Officer  Unit  R.    DS  ARC  Hosp  #5  Paris,  5-30-18  to  12-8-18. 
Clements,  Julia— Nurse  Hosp  E.  Leave  Nice,  11-28-18  to  12-11-18- 
Clickner,  Mayme  C. — Nurse.    Asst  Head  Nurse  Hosp  A-B.  Leave 

Nice,  11-28-18  to  12-11-18. 
CoNNAWAY,  Jay — Orderly  Hosp  A.    Trans  1st  Rep  Depot,  1-12-19. 
Connelly,  Elizabeth  A. — Nurse  Hosp  A.     Leave   Haute  Savoie 

Area,  7-20-18  to  7-31-18;  Nice,  1-10-19  to  1-22-19. 
Cooke,  Raymond  A.— Pvt  ICl,  8-1-18.     Elect  QM  Detail.     Leave 

Grenoble,  12-2-18  to  12-15-18. 
CoppocK,  Orion  O.— Pvt  ICl,  8-1-18.     Leave  Grenoble,  12-2-18  to 

12-15-18. 


FRENCH  SOLDIERS  PREPARING  MESS 


'Mi^^M 


'Mi 


PART  OF  A   FRENCH    DIVISION   PASSINC.   THKolClI    (OXVR'Ky ftVlLLE 


Appendix  215 

CoRRiGAN,  Vernon  B.— Gen  Detail.  DS  BH#15, 12-30-17  to  2-15-18. 

Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  8-22-18  to  9-4-18.     Trans  Inf   1st 

Depot  Div,  10-13-18. 
CoTHARiN,  Benjamin  A. — MP  &  Orderly  Hosp  A.    Leave  St.  Malo, 

11-16-18  to  11-29-18. 
Crow,  Ira  N.— Lieut   1st,  8-11-17;  Capt,  3-5-19.     Medical  Staff 

Hosp  D.    DS  42nd  Div,  4-27-18  to  7-7-18.    Leave  Paris,  11-18-18 

to  11-21-18;  Paris,  12-26-18  to  12-29-18. 
Daugherty,  Albert  L.— Pvt  ICl,   10-24-18.     Orderly  Hosp  D  & 

Hdqrs.     Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-7-18  to  7-19-18;   Nice, 

1-24-19  to  2-10-19. 
Davey,  John  P.— Corp,  8-1-18.     Hdqrs  Office.     DS  BH#15,   12- 

30-17  to  2-15-18.    Leave  Grenoble,  12-13-18  to  12-26-18. 
Davies,  Nelle— Nurse  Hosp  C.     DS  BH#90,   1-17-19  to  2-5-19. 

Leave  Nice,  11-18-18  to  11-28-18. 
Davis,  Nelle  B.— Nurse  Hosp  E.    DS  BH#15,  12-29-17  to  2-4-18. 

Leave  Nice,  11-25-18  to  12-8-18. 
Davis,  William  P.— Dental  Dept  Hosp  A.     DS  BH#15,  12-30-17 

to  2-15-18.    Trans  ARC  Hosp  *1,  6-1-18. 
Day,  John  T.— Lieut   1st,  8-28-17;  Capt,  5-5-19.     Medical   Staff 

Hosp  A.    DS  Cent  Med  Lab,  6-24-18  to  7-8-18.    Trans  BH#  101, 

7-10-18. 
Dean,  David— Orderly  Hosp  A-C.    Leave  Paris,  9-5-18  to  9-10-18. 

Trans  Cent  Med  Lab,  10-21-18. 
Delaney,  Joseph   C— Pvt   ICl,  4-1-18.     Orderly   Hosp   D.     DS 

BH#15,  12-30-17  to  2-15-18.    Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-19-18 

to  7-31-18. 
DiEMER,  Vinton  E. — Cook,  10-1-18.    Kitchen  Hosp  E.    Leave  Gren- 
oble, 11-25-18  to  12-7-18. 
Dillon,  Ruth  E.— Nurse  Hosp  A.     DS  Surg  Team  #19,  4-10-18 

to  7-31-18.    Leave  Nice,  11-14-18  to  11-29-18;  Paris,  2-7-19  to 

2-10-19. 
DowNARD,  Claude  E.— Pvt  ICl,  5-20-18;  Sgt,  3-6-19.     Med  Sup 

Vittel.     Leave  St.  Malo,  10-12-18  to  10-26-18;  Paris,  1-29-19 

to  2-2-19. 
Drake,  Moris  W.— Pvt  ICl,  2-1-18;  Sgt,  9-20-18.    Elect  in  Charge 

Power  Plant  QM   Detail.     Leave  Nice,   12-28-18  to   1-10-19; 

Le  Boule,  3-19-19  to  3-23-19. 
Drosdowitz,    Morris— Pet    ICl,    10-24-18.      Garage    Vittel.     DS 

EH#2,  6-24-18  to  6-30-18.     Leave  Paris,  9-5-18  to  9-10-18; 

Grenoble,  12-13-18  to  12-27-18;  Nice,  1-28-19  to  2-9-19. 
Duck,  C.  Curtis— Corp,  9-15-17;  Sgt,  4-17-18;  Lieut  1st,  9-5-18. 

Registrar  Hdqrs.     DS  Hdqrs  SOS  Tours,  1-13-19  to  1-18-19. 

Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-19-18  to  7-31-18;  Paris,  12-11-18 

to  12-16-18. 


2i6  Appendix 

Duffy,  Joseph  A.— Corp.  5-20-18;  Sgt,  11-18-18.    NCO  in  Charge 

Bath  House.    Leave  St.  Malo,  11-16-18  to  11-30-18. 
Duncan,  John  H.— Corp,   1917;   Sgt,    1918.     Deatchment   Office. 

Leave  St.  Malo,  11-16-18  to  11-30-18. 
Ealy,  Emma  F. — Nurse  Hosp  A-C.     Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area, 

8-17-18  to  8-26-18. 
Earnest,  Herman  L.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.     Orderly  Hosp  A.     DS 

BH^15,    12-30-17    to    2-15-18.      Leave    Grenoble,    12-2-18    to 

12-16-18. 
Edwards,   Cornelius   M.— Pvt    ICl,    10-24-18.     Orderly   Hosp   A. 

Leave  St.  Malo,  11-16-18  to  11-30-18. 
Edwards,  Scott  R.— Lieut  1st,  8-19-17;  Capt,  12-19-18.    Cent  Lab. 

DS  Epernay,  4-14-18  to  4-24-18;  EH#1,  4-26-18  to  5-15-18; 

Cent  Lab  Dijon,  5-17-18  to  5-20-18.     Trans  ARC  Hosp  ^^104, 

5-20-18. 
Elder,    Mary    L. — Nurse.      Hosp    A.      Leave    Nice.    12-10-18    to 

12-23-18. 
Erdmann,  Ernest  T.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.     Orderly  Hosp  A.     DS 

BH*15,  12-30-17  to  2-15-18.  Leave  Dinard,  11-8-18  to  11-25-18. 
Ervin,  Jessie  M.— Nurse  Hosp  A-D.    Trans  BH*8,  8-4-18. 
EssiG,  Maude  P.— Nurse  Hosp  A.    DS  BH*15,  12-29-17  to  2-4-18. 

Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  8-17-18  to  8-26-18. 
EuDALY,  Rufus  A.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.     Orderly  Hosp  A.     Leave 

Grenoble,    12-9-18   to    12-23-18. 
Fehr,  Winters  W.— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18.     Orderly  Hosp  E.     Leave 

Grenoble,  12-13-18  to  12-27-18. 
Feirrell,   Clem   R.— Pvt    ICl,  9-20-18.     Orderly    Hosp   A.     DS 

BH#15,    12-30-17    to    2-15-18.      Leave    Grenoble,    12-2-18    to 

12-16-18. 
Ferguson,  Mary — Nurse  Night  Supervisor,    DS  Surg  Team  *^19, 

4-10-18  to  10-11-18.    Trans  Mobile  Hosp  #11,  10-11-18. 
Ferrel,  Paul  O.— Pvt  ICl,  5-20-18.    Orderly  Hosp  A.    Leave  Haute 

Savoie  Area,  10-1-18  to  10-16-18. 
Finley,  Georgia — Civ  Emp.    Dietitian.     Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area, 

7-8-18  to  7-19-18. 
FisHBACK,  George — Corp,  11-11-17;  Sgt,  1-16-18;  Lieut  2nd,  12- 

7-18.     Quartermaster,  Hdqrs.     Leave  Nice.  8-26-18  to  9-10-18; 

Paris,  12-11-18  to  12-18-18. 
Fisher,    Harry   W. — Gen    Detail.      Leave   Grenoble.    11-25-18    to 

12-5-18. 
FisK.  Kenneth — Orderly  Hosp  D.    Trans  12th  Service  Co  Sig  Corps, 

10-7-18. 
Fitchett,  Earl  H.— PvtlCl,  9-20-18.     Carp  &  Orderly  Hosp  B. 

DS  BH#15,  12-30-17  to  2-15-18.     Leave  Grenoble.  11-25-18  to 

12-7-18. 


Appendix  217 

Fletcher,  Harry  H.— Pvt  ICI.  2-1-18.    Med  Sup  Room  &  Gen  De- 
tail.   Leave  Grenoble,  12-9-18  to  12-23-18. 
Foreman,  Walter  A. — Orderly  Hosp  D.     Leave  Grenoble,  12-9-18 

to  12-23-18. 
Fox,  Malcolm— Gen  Detail.    Leave  Grenoble,  12-19-18  to  1-1-19. 
Francis,  Joseph  M. — Chaplain  ARC. 
Frost,  Geraldine  R. — Civ  Emp.     Secretarial  work  Hdqrs.     Trans 

CSO  Hdqrs  SOS  Tours,  7-11-18. 
Fuller,   Frank   M. — Capt,  7-19-17.     Officer  in   Charge   Hosp   E. 

Trans  Hdqrs  BS  #6  Marseilles,  10-31-18. 
FuNKHOusER,  Elmer — Lieut  1st,  9-26-17;  Capt,  3-6-19.     Patholo- 
gist &  Serologist  Cent  Lab.     DS  42nd  Div,  4-26-18  to  6-21-18; 

Cent   Med  Lab,  7-1-18  to  7-20-18.     Leave   Paris,   12-5-18  to 

12-10-18. 
Gaither,  Benjamin  H.— Pvt  ICl,  2-1-18;  Corp,  9-24-18.    Carp  QM 

Detail.    Leave  Grenoble,  11-25-18  to  12-8-18. 
Gaumer,  Harvey  E.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.    Orderly  Hosp  A.    Trans 

Hosp  Cent  Limoges,  12-15-18.    Dropped  fr  roll  BH#32, 12-15-18. 
Geise,  Terry— Pvt  ICl.  8-1-18.     MP  &  Gen  Detail.     Leave  Haute 

Savoie  Area,  8-22-18  to  9-4-18. 
Genolin,  Susan— Nurse  Hosp  C.    DS  BH#15,  12-29-17  to  2-4-18. 

Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-16-18  to  7-27-18;  Nice,  1-10-19  to 

1-22-19. 
Giles,  Roger— Orderly  Hosp  D-E.    DS  EH#2.  6-24-18  to  6-30-18. 

Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  11-21-18  to  12-3-18;  Paris,  12-20-18 

to  12-25-18. 
GiLMORE,  Harry  C— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.    Orderly  Hosp  A.    Leave 

Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-7-18  to  7-19-18. 
Glotfelty,  Warner  A.— Pvt  ICl.  5-20-18.    Registrar  Office,  Hdqrs. 

Leave  Grenoble,  12-2-18  to  12-15-18. 
Goodale,  Homer  B. — MP  &  Gen  Detail.    Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area, 

9-10-18  to  9-24-18. 
Graber,  Kathryn  O.— Nurse  Hosp  E.     DS  Baccarat,  6-24-18  to 

6-30-18;  BH#90,  1-17-19  to  2-5-19.     Leave  Nice,  12-11-18  to 

12-24-18. 
Graham,  Alois  B.— Capt,  7-15-17;   Major,    10-1-18;   Chief   Surg 

Sect.    Trans  Angers,  1-10-19. 
Graham,  Paul  R.— Pvt  ICl,  5-20-18;  Surg  Asst,  9-25-18.    Orderly 

Hosp  A.    Leave  Grenoble,  12-13-18  to  12-26-18. 
Gray,  Edna  June — Nurse.     Supervisor  of  Surgeries  Hosp  A.     DS 

ARC  Bureau  of  Surg  Dressings  Paris,  1-10-18  to  2-18-18.   Leave 

Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-16-18  to  7-27-18;  Nice,  1-10-19  to  1-22-19. 
Gray,  Henry  A.— Capt,  7-10-17;  Major,  3-5-19.     Surgical  Staff 

Hosp  A. 


2i8  Appendix 

Green,   Hugh   H.— Pvt   ICl,  8-1-18.     Gen  Detail.     Leave  Haute 

Savoie  Area,  7-7-18  to  7-19-18. 
Greenhalgh,  Sarah — Nurse.    Anaesthetist  Hosp  A.     DS  BH#90, 

1-17-19  to  2-5-19.    Leave  Nice,  11-13-18  to  11-28-18. 
Gregory,  Earl  M.— Garage,  Vittel.    DS  MTC,  10-31-18  to  2-18-19. 

Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-19-18  to  7-31-18. 
Griffith,  John  L.— Pvt  ICl,  8-1-18.    Garage  Vittel. 
Grim,  Mary  Gladys — Nurse  Hosp  A-D.     Leave  Nice,  12-10-18  to 

12-23-18.    Trans  3rd  Army,  1-13-19. 
Hagaman,  Edd  G.— Pvt  ICl,  2-1-18;  Surg  Asst,  2-18-18.     Dental 

Dept  Hosp  A.     Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-7-18  to  7-19-18. 

Trans  Attend.  Surgeon,  Nice,  1-2-19. 
Hamilton,  Hallie  L. — Cook  Hosp  D.    Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area, 

7-19-18  to  7-31-18. 
Hart,  Samuel  O. — Orderly  Hosp  D.    Leave  Grenoble,  12-13-18  to 

12-27-18. 
Harvey,  Alice  B.— Trans  BH#8,  3-29-18. 
Haumerson,  Clifford  C— Gen  Detail.    DS  ARC  Hosp  #5,  5-28-18 

to  12-8-18. 
Heffner,  Robert  T.— Pvt  ICl,  2-1-18;  Corp,  8-1-18;  Sgt,  10-24-18; 

Sgt  ICl,  11-18-18.     Pharmacist  Hosp  E.     Leave  Nice,  8-26-18 

to  9-10-18. 
Hemminger,  Creigh  C. — Gen  Detail.    Leave  St.  Malo,  11-16-18  to 

11-30-18. 
Henke,  Margaret  C. — Nurse.     Ansethetist  Hosp  A.     Leave  Haute 

Savoie  Area,  7-20-18  to  7-31-18;  Nice,  1-10-19  to  1-22-19. 
Herbert,   Lewis   C. — Cook,   10-1-18.     Kitchen   Nurses'   Quarters. 

Leave  Grenoble,  12-9-18  to  12-23-18. 
Herod,  Mary  Beaty — Civ  Emp,  10-19-17.     Interpreting  &  Clerical 

Work  Hdqrs.    Leave  Paris  &  Tours,  8-27-18  to  9-4-18. 
Herrick,  John   F.— Capt,  6-27-17;   Major,    11-14-18.     Officer   in 

Charge   Hosp  C.     Leave   Paris,   11-25-18  to   11-28-18;   Paris, 

4-1-19  to  4-2-19. 
Hess,  Elmer  H.— Gen  Detail.    Leave  Grenoble,  11-21-18  to  12-6-18; 

Lyon,  1-27-19  to  2-2-19. 
Hicks,    Wilbur — Kitchen    Hosp   A.     Leave   Haute    Savoie   Area, 

10-1-18  to  10-14-18. 
HiLAND,  Emmett— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.    Orderly  Hosp  D. 
Hildebrand,  Howard  E. — Gen  Detail.    DS  F.  A.  School,  Saumer, 

8-28-18  to  12-4-18.    Leave  Grenoble,  12-26-18  to  1-8-19. 
HiTZ,   Benjamin   D.— Corp,  9-15-17;   Sgt   ICl,    1-1-18;   Lieut    1st, 

5-2-18 ;  Capt,  3-6-19.    Medical  Supply  Officer.    DS  Tours,  2-5-19 

to  2-9-19.    Leave  St.  Aignan,  7-5-18  to  7-10-18;  Nice,  11-11-18 

to  11-25-18. 


()X   BOARD  THE  FREEDOM 


Appendix  219 

HoBBS,  William  L. — Corp,    11-18-18.     In  charge  Office   Hosp   C. 

Leave  Nice,  12-10-18  to  12-23-18. 
Hoffman,  John  W.— Pvt  ICl,  8-1-18.  Gen  Detail.   Leave  St.  Malo, 

10-12-18  to  10-26-18. 
HoLLENBECK,  Harry  R.— Sgt,  2-22-18;  Sgt  ICl,  9-20-18.  Asst  NCO 

in  Charge  Hosp  A.     DS  Surg  Team  #20,  4-21-18  to  7-14-18; 

Surg  Team  #20,  10-30-18  to  11-24-18.     Leave  Nice,  12-12-18 

to  12-24-18. 
HoLLiNGSWORTH,  Herman  H.— Pvt  ICl,  3-1-18;  Sgt,  10-24-18.  Cent 

Lab.     DS  Surg  Team  #20,  4-21-18  to  7-14-18.     Leave  Nice, 

11-24-18  to  12-7-18. 
HoLLORAN,  John  J. — Plumb  QM  Detail.    Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area, 

10-1-18  to  10-14-18. 
HousER,  Mary  B.— Nurse  Hosp  E.  DS  BH#15, 12-29-17  to  1-24-18. 

Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  8-17-18  to  8-26-18. 
Humes,   Charles   D.— Capt,    1917;    Major,    11-14-18.     Consultant 

Neuropsychiatrist.     DS  BH#8,  2-15-18  to  6-24-18;  Vittel-Con- 

trexeville  Center,  6-24-18  to  1-2-19.     Leave  Nice,  12-18-18  to 

12-28-18.    Trans  Angers,  1-2-19. 
Hunt,  Birda  R.— Nurse  Hosp  D.    DS  42nd  Div,  5-4-18  to  6-27-18. 

Leave  Nice,  9-26-18  to  10-8-18.    Trans  3rd  Army,  1-13-19. 
Hunt,  Edmund  V.— Pvt   ICl,  9-20-18.     Orderly  Hdqrs.     Leave 

Haute  Savoie  Area,  9-10-18  to  9-24-18;  Paris,  1-28-19  to  2-2-19. 
Hunsden,  Robert  V.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.    Orderly  Hosp  D.    Leave 

St.  Malo,  10-12-18  to  10-26-18. 
Hurt,  Paul  T.— Lieut  1st,  8-19-17;  Capt,  3-6-19.     Surgical  Staff 

Hosp  A.    DS  42nd  Div,  4-27-18  to  7-3-18.    Leave  Paris,  1-7-19 

to  1-14-19. 
Hutton,  Brace  E.— Cook,  9-1-18.     Kitchen  Hosp  B.     Leave  St. 

Malo,  11-3-18  to  11-19-18. 
Ikerd,  Ruth  H.— Nurse  Hosp  A.    Leave  Nice,  9-13-18  to  9-24-18; 

Paris,  2-3-19  to  2-5-19. 
Iverson,  William  V.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.    Carp  QM  Detail.    Leave 

Grenoble,  12-9-18  to  12-23-18. 
Jackson,  Coutsie  R. — Corp,  8-1-18.  QM  Commissary.   Leave  Nice, 

12-22-18  to  12-24-18;  Coblenz,  1-10-19  to  1-16-19. 
James,  Lora  D.— Capt,  1917.     Surgical  Stafif  Hosp  A.     DS  42nd 

Div,  5-2-18  to  7-3-18;  Surg  Team  #20,  7-17-18  to  11-24-18. 
Jennings,  Loomis— Corp,  1917 ;  Sgt  ICl,  1-1-18;  Hosp  Sgt,  4-17-18; 

Master  Hosp  Sgt,  10-22-18.     Sergeant-Major  Hdqrs.     Leave 

Nice,  12-12-18  to  12-24-18. 
Jericho,  Paul  B.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.    Orderly  Hosp  B.  DS  EH#2, 

6-24-18  to  6-30-18.     Leave   Grenoble,    12-13-18   to    12-27-18; 

Paris,  1-28-19  to  2-2-19. 


220  Appendix 

Johnson,  Richard  K.— Pvt  ICl,  2-1-18.    Garage  Vittel.    DS  Surg 

Team   #20,  7-17-18  to   10-4-18.     Leave  Grenoble,    12-9-18  to 

12-23-18. 
Johnson,   William  A. — Cook.     Kitchen   Hosp  E.     Leave   Haute 

Savoie  Area,  9-10-18  to  9-24-18. 
Johnson.  William  C.— Pvt  ICl,  5-20-18.     MP.     DS  Is-sur-Tille, 

9-15-18  to  9-23-18;  Vichy,   10-15-18  to   10-19-18.     Leave   St. 

Malo,  11-8-18  to  11-25-18;  Nice,  1-28-19  to  2-9-19. 
Johnston,   Clarence   S. — Corp,    1917.     Registrar's   Office   Hdqrs. 

Leave  St.  Malo,  10-29-18  to  11-14-18;  Paris,  4-1-19  to  4-5-19. 
Johnston,  Kenneth  L. — Lieut  1st,  1917.     Surgical  Staff  Hosp  A. 

DS   Surg  Team   #20,   4-20-18   to   7-14-18;   Surg   Team   #19, 

7-15-18  to  2-11-19. 
Jones,  Dwight  K. — Garage  Vittel.    DS  Entertainment  Section  AEF, 

2-19-19  to  4-19-19. 
Jones,  Gerald  G.— Pvt  ICl,  8-1-18;  Cook,  10-1-18.     Mess  Supply 

Room  Hosp  E.     Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  8-22-18  to  9-4-18; 

Paris,  1-9-19  to  1-15-19. 
JuDD,  Arthur  A.— Sgt  ICl,  8-1-18.    MP  &  Hdqrs,  DS  Hdqrs  Adv 

Sec  SOS,   11-5-18  to  11-7-18;  Langres,   11-10-18  to  11-12-18. 

Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-19-18  to  7-31-18;  Lyon,  1-22-19 

to  1-27-19. 
JuDKiNS,  Basil  D.— Pvt  ICl,  5-20-18.    Garage  Vittel.    Leave  Haute 

Savoie  Area,  7-7-18  to  7-19-18;  Verdun,  12-27-18  to  12-31-18. 
Kahle,  Edward  C— Gen  Detail.     DS  EH#2,  6-24-18  to  6-30-18. 

Leave  Haute   Savoie  Area,  8-22-18  to  9-4-18;  Haute   Savoie 

Area,  10-1-18  to  10-13-18.    Trans  Inf  1st  Depot  Div,  10-13-18. 
Kelly,  Charles  B.— Gen  Detail.    DS  BH#15,  12-30-17  to  2-15-18; 

Surg  Team  #20,  7-17-18  to  11-24-18.    Leave  Nice,  12-19-18  to 

1-1-19. 
Kennedy,  Bernays — Major,  7-23-17;  Chief  Medical  Section.     DS 

Baccarat,  5-1-18  to  5-7-18;  Paris,  5-15-18  to  5-22-18;  Exermont, 

10-15-18  to  10-19-18.    Leave  Nice,  7-2-18  to  7-14-18. 
Kennedy,  Mary— Nurse  Hosp  A.  DS  BH#15,  12-29-17  to  1-24-18; 

ARC  Paris,  5-2-18  to  5-18-18.    Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-8-18 

to  7-19-18;  Nice,  1-10-19  to  1-22-19. 
KiRKPATRiCK,  Russell  B. — Kitchen  Hosp  A.     Leave  Haute  Savoie 

Area,  8-22-18  to  9-4-18. 
Kochman,  Mary  P.— Nurse  Hosp  A.     DS  BH#15,   12-29-17  to 

2-4-18.    Leave  Nice,  9-13-18  to  9-24-18 ;  Paris,  2-3-19  to  2-5-19. 
Kroeger.  John  P.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.    Tailor  &  Gen  Detail.    Leave 

Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-7-18  to  7-19-18. 
Kurr,  Edward— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18.    Orderly  Hosp  A.     Leave  Nice, 

11-24-18  to  12-7-18;  Rheims,  2-4-19  to  2-9-19. 


Appendix  221 

Lamson,  Charles  S.— Pvt  ICl,  5-20-18.     Gen  Detail.     Leave  St. 

Malo,  10-29-18  to  11-14-18;  Paris,  1-29-19  to  2-2-19. 
Lanahan,  Cornelius  J.— Pvt  ICl,   10-24-18.     MP  &  Gen  Detail. 

Leave  Grenoble,  12-13-18  to  12-27-18. 
Lanahan,  Thomas— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18;  Corp,  12-1-18;  Sgt,  1-1-19. 

QM  Office.  DS  Chief  Surgeon  AEF,  11-13-18  to  1-26-19.  Leave 

Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-7-18  to  7-19-18. 
Lancaster,  Alma— Nurse  Hosp  A.  DS  BH#90,  1-17-19  to  2-18-19. 

Leave  Nice,  11-10-18  to  11-23-18. 
Langan,  John  A.— Sgt,  9-20-18;  Mess  Sgt,   10-1-18.     Mess  Sgt. 

Leave  Nice,  11-8-18  to  11-21-18. 
Larimer,   Milton— Pvt   ICl,   10-24-18.     Orderly  Hosp  E.     Leave 

Grenoble,  12-9-18  to  12-23-18. 
Laramore,   John   C— Pvt   ICl,  9-20-18.     Orderly   Hosp   C.     DS 

EH#2,  6-24-18  to  6-30-18.  Leave  St.  Malo,  11-16-18  to  11-30-18. 
Lessenger,    Ethel — Nurse   Hosp   A-B.     Leave    Nice,    12-7-18   to 

12-20-18. 
LiNDBOM,  EUwood— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.    Orderly  Hosp  D-B.    Leave 

Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-19-18  to  7-31-18. 
LocHRY,  Ralph  L.— Lieut   1st,  8-19-17.     Surgical   Staff.     X-Ray 

Dept.    DS  Surg  Team  #19,  4-9-18  to  7-17-18.    Trans  BH#116, 

7-17-18. 
Locke,  Lloyd  L.— Mess  Sgt,  10-1-18.    Kitchen  Hosp  A.    Leave  St. 

Malo,  11-3-18  to  11-19-18. 
Loechle,    William    P. — Cook.      Kitchen    A-E.      Leave    Grenoble, 

12-13-18  to  12-27-18. 
Logan,  Luke— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18.     Orderly  Hosp  A.     Leave  Gren- 
oble, 12-2-18  to  12-16-18;  Le  Mans,  4-2-19  to  4-6-19. 
LouNSBURY,  Clifford— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18.    Orderly  Hosp  A.    Leave 

Gr.enoble,  12-13-18  to  12-26-18;  Paris,  3-6-19  to  3-10-19. 
LuKENS,  John  E.— Corp,  1917;  Sgt,  8-1-18;  Sgt  ICl,  4-1-19.    NCO 

in  Charge  Kitchen  Hosp  B.    DS  MSD  #3,  10-17-18  to  1-14-19; 

Le  Boule,  2-19-19  to  2-27-19.    Leave  Nice,  8-23-18  to  9-7-18. 
LuPTON,  Clifford  E. — Dental  Dept  Hosp  A. 
LusK,  Mabel— Nurse  Hosp  A-B.     DS  BH#90,  1-17-19  to  2-5-19. 

Leave  Nice,  11-18-18  to  11-28-18. 
Lyons,  Marchael  C— Pvt  ICl,  5-1-18;  Surg  Asst,  5-15-18.     Surg 

Asst  Hosp  A.    Leave  Grenoble,  12-9-18  to  12-23-18;  Le  Mans, 

1-24-19  to  1-31-19. 
McArdle,  John— Pvt  ICl,  2-1-18;  Sgt,  11-18-18.     DS  ARC  Hosp 

#1   Paris,  4-9-18  to  7-31-18;    116  Eng,    11-26-18  to   12-3-18. 

Leave  St.  Malo,  11-8-18  to  11-25-18.     Trans  Discharge  Camp 

St.  Aignan,  3-19-19. 


222  Appendix 

McBee,  Mary  R.— Nurse  Hosp  A.    DS  BH^15,  12-29-17  to  2-4-18. 

Leave  Nice,  12-8-18  to  12-19-18. 
McCarty,    Clarence    M.— Orderly    Hosp    A.      Leave    Grenoble, 

12-9-18  to  12-23-18. 
McClure.  William  N.— Garage  Vittel.     Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area, 

9-10-18  to  9-24-18.    Trans  Discharge  Camp  St  Aignan.  4-11-19. 
McCoppiN,  Margaret— Nurse  Hosp  E.     DS  BH#15,  12-29-17  to 

2-4-18;  Baccarat,  6-26-18  to  2-13-19.     Trans  Baccarat,  2-13-19. 
McCuLLOCH,  Charleton  B.— Capt,  4-10-17;  Major,   11-17-17;  Lt- 

Col,  10-23-18.     Surgical  Staff  Hosp  A.     DS  Surg  Team  ^19, 

4-9-18  to  9-26-18.    Trans  Mobile  Hosp  *11,  9-26-18. 
McDonald.  Irwin  C— Orderly  Orthopedic  Dept  Hosp  A.     Leave 

Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-19-18  to  7-31-18. 
McDouGALL,  Duncan  C— Pvt  ICl,  2-1-18;  Sgt,  2-22-18;  Sgt  ICl, 

10-24-18.     NCO  in  Charge  MSD  Vittel.     Leave  St.  Andrews, 

Scotland,  2-1-19  to  2-24-19. 
McElwaine,  Jay  B.— Sgt.  3-1-18;  Sgt  ICl,  9-20-18.  NCO  in  Charge 

Plumb,  QM   Detail.     Leave  Paris,   1-10-18  to  1-16-18;  Haute 

Savoie  Area,  7-7-18  to  7-19-18;  Paris,  1-4-19  to  1-8-19.     Trans 

Camp  #91  Le  Boule,  3-4-19. 
McGiFFiN,  William  J.— Sgt,  12-17-17;  Sgt  ICl,  9-20-18.     NCO  in 

Charge  Hosp  C.    Leave  Nice,  11-8-18  to  11-21-18. 
McGuiRE,  Roy  A.— Capt,  1917.     DS  Paris,  5-30-18  to  12-12-18; 

Le  Boule,  2-20-19  to .    Dropped  fr  roll  BH#32.  2-20-19. 

McHuGH,  Thomas  D.— Corp,  9-30-17  ;  Sgt,  3-17-18;  Sgt  ICl,  8-1-18. 

NCO  in  Charge  Hosp  D.     DS  BH#15,   12-30-17  to  2-15-18. 

Leave  Nice,  11-8-18  to  11-22-18. 
McIntire.  John  D. — Barber  &  Orderly  Hosp  A.     Leave  Grenoble, 

12-9-18  to  12-23-18;  Le  Mans,  1-28-19  to  2-3-19. 
McLaughlin,  Cyril  A.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.    Orderly  Hosp  E.    DS 

MSD  #3,  11-26-18  to  12-21-18;  MSD  BS#2,  1-10-19  to  2-17-19. 
Magee,  George  E.— Sgt,  2-22-18.     NCO  in  Charge  X-Ray  Dept 

Hosp  A.    Trans  BH#8,  9-29-18. 
Mahan,  Bertha  B.— Head  Nurse  Hosp  B.     DS  ARC  Bureau  of 

Surg  Dressings  Paris,   1-10-18  to  2-31-18;  BH#90,  1-17-19  to 

2-5-19.    Leave  Nice,  11-2-18  to  11-11-18. 
Mangan,  Mary— Nurse  Hosp  A.    DS  BH#15.  12-29-17  to  1-24-18; 

Surg  Team  #19,  7-28-18  to  10-11-18.  Trans  Mobile  Hosp  #11, 
10-11-18. 
Mangus.  Artie  V.— Pvt  ICl,  8-1-18;  Dispensary  Asst.  10-24-18. 
Pharmacy  Hosp  A.  Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-7-18  to  7- 
19-18;  Mussy-sur-Seine,  12-21-18  to  12-25-18. 
Marshall,  Walker  R.— Pvt  ICl.  5-20-18.  X-Ray  Dept  Hosp  A. 
Leave  Grenoble,  12-13-18  to  12-27-18. 


Appendix  223 

Martin,  Florence  J.— Chief  Nurse  BH#32.    DS  Paris,  5-25-18  to 

5-30-18 ;  Paris,  8-19-18  to  8-22-18 ;  Savenay,  10-22-18  to  10-26-18. 

Leave  Nice,  1-6-19  to  1-16-19. 
Martin,  Paul  F. — Capt.   1917.     Surgical  Staff.     DS  Surg  Team 

#20,  4-20-18  to  7-14-18;  Surg  Team  #20  EH#7,  7-17-18  to 

11-27-18.    Trans  EH  #3,  11-30-18. 
Matthews,   Paul    R.— Pvt    ICl,   2-1-18;   Corp,    11-18-18.     Office 

Hosp  D.     DS  Epernay,  4-14-18  to  5-20-18.     Leave  Haute  Sa- 

voie  Area,  7-19-18  to  7-31-18. 
Maugham,  John  R.— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18.     MP  &  Gen  Detail.     DS 

EH #3,  8-26-18  to  11-2-18. 
Maxwell,  Leslie  H.— Lieut  1st,  1917.    Medical  Staff  Hosp  E.    DS 

Cent  Med  Lab,  5-30-18  to  6-7-18.     Leave  Chambery,  7-17-18 

to  7-30-18.    Trans  Mobile  Hosp  #11,  10-13-18. 
Mehler,  Frank  R.— Lieut  1st,  1917.     Surgical  Staff  Hosp  A.    DS 

Cent  Med  Lab,  7-21-18  to  7-26-18;  EH#3,  8-27-18  to  10-13-18; 

Mobile  Hosp  #11,  10-13-18  to  1-31-19. 
Mellis,  Bruce  A. — Cook,  10-1-18.     Kitchen  Hosp  A.     Leave  St. 

Malo,  11-3-18  to  11-19-18. 
Melville,  Elizabeth — Nurse.     Linen  Room  Hosp  A.     DS  Paris, 

11-12-18  to  11-17-18. 
Miller,  Elmer  E.— Cook.    Kitchen  Hosp  E.    Leave  Haute  Savoie 

Area,  9-10-18  to  9-24-18. 
Miller,  Estelle  F.— Nurse.     Surgery  Hosp  A.     DS  BH#15,  12- 

29-17  to  2-4-18.    Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-8-18  to  7-19-18. 

Trans  BH#8,  10-21-18. 
Miller,  Jeanette  A.— Nurse  Hosp  A-D.    Trans  BH#8,  8-4-18. 
Montgomery,  Johanna — Nurse  Hosp  A.  Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area, 

7-20-18  to  7-31-18.    Trans  3rd  Army,  1-13-19. 
Moore,  Robert  M.— Lieut  1st,  9-1-17;  Capt,  11-11-18.     Officer  in 

Charge  Hosp  D.     DS  St.  Nazaire,  2-17-19  to  2-24-19.     Leave 

Nice,  4-24-19  to  5-6-19.    Trans  Embark  Center  Le  Mans,  3-7-19. 
Morgan,    Pierre    S.— Pvt    ICI,   8-1-18;    Sgt,    10-24-18.     NCO   in 

Charge  Morgue.    Leave  Nice,  12-10-18  to  12-23-18. 
MowRER,  Edna  C— Nurse.    Surgery  Hosp  A-B.    DS  BH#15,  12- 

29-17  to  2-4-18.    Leave  Nice,  12-9-18  to  12-21-18. 
MuLCAHY,  Paul  W. — Orderly  Hosp  D.     Leave  Grenoble,  12-13-18 

to  12-27-18.    Trans  fr  BH#31  to  US  Hosp  Train,  1-8-19. 
Mullen,  Mary  E.— Nurse  Hosp  E.  DS  BH#15,  12-29-17  to  2-4-18. 

Leave  Nice,  12-9-18  to  12-21-18. 
MuMFORD,  Eugene  B.— Capt.  9-1-17.    Orthopedic  Surgeon  Hosp  A. 

DS  Belgium,  1-29-18  to  3-15-18;  Surg  Team  #20,  4-20-18  to 

7-14-18.    Trans  BH#9,  11-6-18. 
Need,  Clara   LaV.—Nurse  Hosp  A-C.     DS  BH#90,   1-17-19  to 

2-18-19.    Leave  Nice.  11-30-18  to  12-13-18. 


224  Appendix 

Newkirk,  Fred  N.— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18.     Garage  Vittel. 

NoRRis,  Joseph  C. — Cook.    Kitchen  Hosp  B. 

Oatman,  Sherman  H.— Cook.    Kitchen  Hosp  B.     Leave  St.  Malo, 

11-16-18  to  11-30-18. 
O'CoNNELL,  Mayme— Nurse  Hosp  A.     DS  BH#15,   12-29-17  to 

1-24-18;  42nd  Div,  5-4-18  to  6-27-18.    Leave  Nice,  11-28-18  to 

12-11-18. 
O'Hern,  Wade  J.— Corp,  9-22-17;  Sgt,   5-20-18.     Asst  NCO  in 

Charge  Hosp  A.     Leave  Nice,  8-26-18  to  9-10-18. 
O'Keefe,    Marie— Nurse    Hosp   A-D.      Leave    Nice,    11-10-18   to 

11-23-18. 
O'Reilly,  Raymond— Pvt   ICl,  8-1-18;  Sgt,   10-24-18.     Hosp  A. 

Leave  Nice,  11-24-18  to  12-7-18. 
Ostenzi,  Florine— Nurse  Hosp  A.    DS  BH#15,  12-29-17  to  2-4-18 ; 

Baccarat,   6-24-18   to   6-30-18;    Surg   T<^m    #20,    7-24-18   to 

11-23-18.    Leave  Nice,  12-13-18  to  12-26-18.    Trans  3rd  Army, 

1-13-19. 
Page,  Lafayette— Capt,  1917;  Major,  10-1-18.     DS  Paris,  5-17-18 

to  5-27-18.     Leave  Nice,  7-4-18  to  7-25-18;  Lonedre,  11-23-18 

to  11-30-18.    Trans  Angers,  1-10-19. 
Parrett,  Ralph  C— Leave  Grenoble,  12-13-18  to  12-27-18. 
Payne,  Lena  Lee— Nurse  Hosp  A.     DS  BH#15,  12-29-17  to  1- 

24-18;  Baccarat,  6-26-18  to  12-31-18.     Trans  Hosp  Cent  Save- 
nay,  12-31-18. 
Peacock,  Elsie— Nurse.    Surgery  Hosp  A-B.    DS  BH#15,  12-29-17 

to  1-24-18;  Baccarat,  6-24-18  to  6-30-18.    Leave  Nice.  11-25-18 

to  12-8-18.    Trans  3rd  Army,  1-13-19. 
Plough,  Vern  F.— Sgt,  11-18-18.    NCO  in  Charge  Kitchen  Hosp  D. 

Leave  Nice,  12-10-18  to  12-23-18. 
Plumb,  Theodore  G.— Pvt  ICl,  5-20-18;  Sgt,  10-24-18.    Office  QU 

Dept,  Hdqrs.     Leave  St.  Malo,  10-12-18  to  10-26-18. 
Poindexter,    Harold    B.— Orderly    Hosp    A.      Sent    to    BH#16, 

10-22-18.    Dropped  fr  roll  BH#32,  11-29-18. 
Porter,  Whitney  C— Pvt  ICl,  8-1-18.   Mail  Orderly,  Hdqrs.   Leave 

Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-7-18  to  7-19-18;  Paris,  1-28-19  to  2-2-19. 
Potter,  Evelyn— Nurse  Hosp  B-C.  DS  BH#15,  12-29-17  to  2-4-18. 

Leave  Nice,  11-30-18  to  12-13-18.    Trans  3rd  Army,  1-13-19. 
Power  Earl  D.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.    Bath  House.    Leave  St.  Malo, 

10-29-18  to  11-14-18;  Paris,  1-29-19  to  2-2-19. 
Prosser,  Amy  A.— Nurse  Hosp  D.  DS  BH#  15,  12-29-17  to  1-24-18 ; 

42nd  Div,  5-4-18  to  6-27-18.     Leave  Nice.  9-26-18  to  10-8-18. 

Trans  fr  BH#31  to  BH#60.    Dropped  fr  roll  BH#32,  1-8-19. 
Prust  Beulah  G.— Nurse  Hosp  D.  DS  Baccarat,  6-26-18  to  2-13-19. 

Dropped  fr  roll  BH#32.  2-13-19. 


Appendix  225 

PuGH,  Joseph  M.— Cook,  10-1-18.    Kitchen  Hosp  D.    DS  BH#15, 

12-30-17  to  2-15-18 ;  EH#2,  6-24-18  to  6-30-18.    Leave  St.  Male, 

11-16-18  to  11-29-18. 
QuiMBY,  Smith— Lieut  1st,  6-20-17;  Capt,  2-17-19.    Surgical  Staff 

Hosp  A.     DS  42nd  Div,  4-27-18  to  7-3-18.     Leave  Chambery, 

7-17-18  to  7-30-18. 
QuiNN,  Edward  T.— Pvt  ICl,  2-1-18;  Corp,  10-24-18;  Sgt,  11-18-18. 

MP  &  Office  Hosp  A.     Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-19-18  to 

7-31-18;  Le  Boule,  3-18-19  to  3-22-19. 
Reed,  Oliver— Kitchen  Hosp  A.     Evac  US  San  Tr  *52  to  Hosp 

Cent  Bordeaux,  11-4-18.    Dropped  fr  roll  BH#32,  11-29-18. 
Reel,  Leonard  R.— Sgt,  1917;  Sgt  ICl,  1-1-18;  Lieut  1st,  7-1-18. 

Detachment   Commander.     Leave   Nice,    11-18-18   to    12-2-18. 

Trans  BS*1,  2-20-19. 
Reeves,  Edward  D.— Corp,  3-13-18;  Sgt,  10-24-18;  Sgt  ICl,  11- 

18-18.     NCO  in  Charge  Gen  Detail.     Leave  Nice,  11-8-18  to 

11-22-18. 
Reimers,  Robert  S.— Lieut  1st,  1917.   Opthalmologist.    DS  BH#8, 

5-23-18  to  6-25-18.    Trans  EH  #7,  7-3-18. 
Reitenour,  Clarence  D.— Pvt  ICl,  2-1-18.    Orderly  Hosp  A.    DS 

Surg  Team  #19,  4-9-18  to  10-12-18.    Trans  Mobile  Hosp  #11, 

10-12-18. 
Rich,  Roy  F.— Corp,  1917;  Sgt  ICl,  1-1-18.    NCO  in  Charge  Hosp 

A.    DS  MSD  #3,  10-17-18  to  12-18-18;  St.  Nazaire,  2-17-19  to 

2-24-19.     Leave  Nice,  9-10-18  to  9-24-18;  Lyon,   1-22-19  to 

1-26-19. 
RiCKETTS,  Joseph  W.— Lieut  1st,  5-1917;  Capt,  3-5-19.     Surgical 

Staff.     Officer  in  Charge  Hosp  B.     DS  42nd  Div,  4-27-18  to 

7-7-18.      Leave    Nice,    7-8-18    to    7-21-18;    Paris,    12-5-18    to 

12-10-18. 
RiDDELL,  Harry  L.— Pvt  ICl,   10-24-18.     Orderly  Hosp  A.     DS 

Hdqrs  SOS  Tours,  2-9-19  to  3-18-19.    Leave  St.  Malo,  11-16-18 

to  12-1-18. 
RiGGS,   Glenn   A.— Pvt   ICl,   2-1-18;   Corp,   5-20-18;   Sgt,  8-1-18. 

Garage  Vittel. 
RiTTER,  Paul  F.— Pvt  ICl,  4-5-18.     Orderly  Hosp  A.     DS  Vichy, 

9-26-18  to  9-29-18.     Leave   Haute   Savoie  Area,   11-21-18  to 

12-3-18. 
RoBERSON,  Tulie — Nurse.    Surgery  Hosp  A.    DS  Baccarat,  6-26-18 

to  8-16-18.    Leave  Nice,  11-14-18  to  11-29-18. 
Robinson,  Dar  A. — Sgt  ICl,  8-1-18.    Pharmacist.    Hosp  A.    Leave 

Nice,  9-10-18  to  9-24-18;  Paris,  1-28-19  to  2-2-19. 
Rock,  Nellie— Nurse.    Surgery  Hosp  A.    DS  BH#15,  12-29-17  to 

2-4-18;  42nd  Div,  5-4-18  to  6-27-18;  Surg  Team  #19,  7-28-18 

to  10-11-18.    Trans  Mobile  Hosp  #11,  10-11-18. 


226  Appendix 

Rogers,  Warren  K.— Corp,  9-24-18 ;  Sgt,  10-24-18.    NCO  in  Charge 

Gen  Detail.    Leave  Nice,  11-8-18  to  11-22-18. 
RoHR,  Anna  M.— Nurse  Hosp  E.    DS  Baccarat,  6-26-18  to  12-27-18. 

Trans  3rd  Army,  1-13-19. 
RouTH,  Paul  N.— Pvt  ICl,  5-20-18.    Garage  Vittel. 
Russell,  Frank— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18.    Garage  Vittel. 
Ryan,  Eleanor  C— Head  Nurse  Hosp  C.     DS  BH#15,  12-29-17 

to  1-24-18;  Surg  Team  #20,  4-20-18  to  8-20-18.    Trans  Camp 

Hosp  #12,8-20-18. 
Sanagan,  Albert  C— Pvt  ICl,  2-1-18;  Corp,  5-20-18;  Sgt,  10-10-18. 

NCO  in  Charge   Officers   Quarters.     Leave   Nice,  8-26-18  to 

9-7-18;  Paris,  1-7-19  to  1-11-19;  Paris,  2-12-19  to  2-15-19. 
Satters,  Albert — Cook.    Kitchen  Hosp  A-D. 
Scales,  Mary  A. — Asst  Chief  Nurse.    Head  Nurse  Hosp  A.     DS 

ARC  Bureau  of  Surg  Dressings  Paris.  1-10-18  to  2-18-18.    Leave 

Le  Croisic,  8-26-18  to  9-7-18;  Nice,  12-28-18  to  1-9-19. 
Scherer,  Jack  W. — Lieut  1st,  1917.    Dental  Dept.    Hosp  A.  Leave 

Biarritz,  7-20-18  to  7-27-18.    Trans  20th  Eng,  7-29-18. 
Schillerstrom,  Curtis  G.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.     Orderly  Hosp  A. 

Leave  St.  Malo,  10-12-18  to  10-27-18. 
ScHOLER,  Ida  A.— Nurse  Hosp  D.    DS  BH#15,  12-29-17  to  2-4-18; 

Paris,  12-22-18  to  12-24-18.    Leave  Nice,  11-30-18  to  12-13-18. 

Trans  3rd  Army,  1-13-19. 
ScovEL,  Calvin  L.— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18.     Kitchen  Hosp  B.     Leave 

Grenoble,  12-9-18  to  12-23-18. 
Searle,  Ferrell  G.— Office  Hosp  A.  Trans  QMC,  7-16-18. 
Selch,  Charles  G.— Kitchen  Hosp  A.    Leave  St.  Malo,  11-3-18  to 

11-19-18. 
Self,  Harold  C— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18.    Orderly  Hosp  A  &  Gen  Detail. 

Leave  Grenoble,  12-9-18  to  .12-23-18. 
Sellmeyer,  Arnold  J.— Pvt  ICl,  2-1-18.    Garage  Vittel. 
Sertell,   Peter  J.— Pvt   ICl,   8-1-18.     Carp  QM    Detail.     Leave 

Grenoble,  12-2-18  to  12-16-18. 
Shearer,  Beryl  C— Pvt  ICl.  5-20-18;  Sgt,  11-18-18.     Cent  Lab. 

Leave  Nice,  12-10-18  to  12-23-18. 
Sheller,  Vernon  G.— Sgt,  9-15-17;  Sgt  ICl.  1-1-18;  1st  Sgt.   Leave 

Nice,  10-18-18  to  10-31-18;  Le  Boule,  3-19-19  to  3-23-19. 
Shimer,  Myrtle— Nurse  Hosp  A.    DS  Savenay,  3-31-18  to  4-5-18. 

Leave  Nice,  12-9-18  to  12-21-18. 
Smith,  Glenn— Gen  Detail.    Leave  Grenoble,  12-13-18  to  12-27-18. 
Smith,  Golda  P.- Nurse  Hosp  E.    DS  BH#15,  12-29-17  to  2-4-18; 

42nd  Div,  5-4-18  to  6-27-18.    Leave  Nice,  11-14-18  to  11-29-18. 
Smith,  Montelle  E.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.    Gen  Detail.    Leave  Gren- 
oble, 12-26-18  to  1-8-19. 


Appendix 


227 


Snyder,  Claude  E.— Pvt  ICl,  2-1-18.    Dental  Dept  Hosp  A.    Trans 

20th  Eng,  7-29-18. 
Spainhour,  Paul  G.— Pvt  ICl,  5-20-18.     Orderly  Hosp  A.     DS 

ARC  Hosp  #5,  5-28-18  to  12-8-18. 
Sparks,  James  V. — Lieut  1st,  1917.    Dentist  Hosp  A.    Leave  Biar- 
ritz, 7-7-18  to  7-19-18.    Trans  Attend  Surg  Nice,  1-2-19. 
Steffen,  Gertrude — Civ  Emp.     Secy   Chief   Med   Sect   Hosp  D. 

Leave  Paris,  8-19-18  to  8-25-18;  Nice,  12-12-18  to  12-23-18. 
Stephan,  Wilbur  M. — Kitchen  Hosp  D.    Leave  Grenoble,  11-25-18 

to  12-7-18. 
Stephens,    William   A. — Garage.     Leave   St.    Malo,    10-29-18   to 

11-14-18. 
Stough,   Charles   S.— Pvt   ICl,  9-20-18.     X-Ray   Dept   Hosp   A. 

Leave  Grenoble,  12-9-18  to  12-23-18. 
Stuart,  Louis  S. — Pvt  ICl,  2-1-18.     Cent  Lab.     Leave  Haute  Sa- 

voie  Area,  7-7-18  to  7-19-18. 
Stuvel,   Bernard— Pvt   ICl,  2-1-18.     Plumb  OM   Detail.     Leave 

Haute  Savoie  Area,  9-15-18  to  9-28-18. 
Summers,  Leslie  E. — Pvt  ICl,  8-1-18.  X-Ray  Dept  Hosp  A.  Leave 

Grenoble,  12-13-18  to  12-27-18. 
Sutton,  Martin  L.— Pvt  ICl,  5-20-18;  Corp,  8-1-18.     QM  Ware- 
house.   Leave  Nice,  10-18-18  to  10-31-18. 
SwAiM,   George   O.— Corp,  9-15-17;   Sgt   ICl,    1-1-18.     NCO   in 

Charge  Garage  &  Hosp  B.    Leave  Paris,  1-28-19  to  2-2-19. 
Sweet,  Ralph  L. — Lieut  1st,  9-1-17.    Surgical  Staff  Hosp  A.  Leave 

Nice,  7-8-18  to  7-21-18.    Trans  Mobile  Hosp  #11,  10-13-18. 
Swift,  Agnes  L.— Nurse.    Surgery  Hosp  A.    DS  BH#90,  1-17-19 

to  2-5-19.     Leave  Nice,  12-10-18  to  12-23-18. 
Thompson,  Elsie— Nurse  Hosp  B.  Leave  Nice,  12-11-18  to  12-24-18. 
Thompson,  Helen  A. — Nurse  Hosp  A-B.     Leave  Nice,  12-10-18 

to  12-23-18. 
Threlkeld,  Addie — Nurse  Hosp  A-C.     DS  Baccarat,  6-24-18  to 

6-30-18.    Leave  Nice,  11-25-18  to  12-8-18. 
Totten,  Ruth  G.— Nurse  Hosp  B.    DS  BH#15,  12-29-17  to  2-4-18; 

BH#90,  1-17-19  to  2-18-19.    Leave  Nice,  11-10-18  to  11-23-18. 
Van  Dyke,  Eva  B. — Nurse  Hosp  A-D. 
Van  Evera,  Grace— Nursel  Hosp  A-C.     DS  BH#90,   1-17-19  to 

2-5-19.    Leave  Nice,  12-13-18  to  12-26-18. 
Wagner,  Hermina  E. — Nurse  Hosp  A.    Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area, 

9-9-18  to  9-27-18.    Trans  3rd  Army,  1-13-19. 
Wagner,  William  H. — Kitchen  Hosp  A.    Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,. 

7-19-18  to  7-31-18. 
Walgren,  Roy  L.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.    Gen  Detail.     Leave  Gren- 
oble, 12-9-18  to  12-23-18. 


228  Appendix 

Walker,  Ben  S.— Capt,  1917.    DS  ARC  Hosp  #5,  Paris,  5-30-18  to 

12-12-18. 
Walker,    Frank   C— Lieut    1st,   9-6-17;   Capt,    3-5-19.      Surgical 

Staff  Hosp  A.    DS  Surg  Team  #20,  4-20-18  to  7-14-18;  Surg 

Team  #20.  7-17-18  to  11-24-18. 
Watts,  Stanley  S.— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18.    Orderly  Hosp  E.    Leave  St. 

Malo,  10-12-18  to  10-26-18;  Paris,  3-10-19  to  3-12-19. 
Weer,  Paul  W.— Pvt  ICl,  8-1-18.    Registrar  Office  Hdqrs.     Leave 

Haute  Savoie  Area,  10-1-18  to  10-16-18. 
Wehman,   Edward   J.— Lieut    1st,    1917;   Capt,   3-5-19.     Medical 

Staff  &  Cent  Lab.     DS  Mobile  Hosp  #39,  7-1-18  to  7-31-18; 

Paris,  3-10-19  to  3-12-19. 

Weitendorf,  Alys— Nurse  Hosp  C-E.  DS  BH#15,  12-29-17  to 
2-4-18 ;  Baccarat,  6-24-18  to  6-30-18.  Leave  Biarritz,  8-29-18  to 
9-10-18.    Trans  BH#90,  1-17-19. 

Wells,  Russell  D.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.  QM  Office  Hdqrs  Vittel. 
Leave  Haute  Savoie  Area,  7-7-18  to  7-19-18;  Dijon,  12-14-18 
to  12-18-18;  Paris,  1-31-19  to  2-6-19. 

Wesley,  Alton  J.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.  Orderly  Hosp  A.  Leave 
St.  Malo,  10-29-18  to  11-14-18. 

Westfall,  Don — Sgt,  2-22-18.  Lab  Hosp  E.  Leave  Haute  Sa- 
voie Area,  10-1-18  to  10-14-18. 

Whitaker,  Bessie — Nurse  Hosp  A-C.  Leave  Nice,  12-10-18  to 
12-23-18. 

White,  Dudley— Cook.  9-15-17;  Sgt,  2-1-18.  NCO  in  Charge  Kit- 
chen Hosp  A. 

White,  George  L.— Corp,  1917;  Sgt,  8-1-18.  MP  &  QM  Detail. 
Leave  Nice,  12-10-18  to  12-23-18. 

Whitlock,  Olive— Nurse  Hosp  A-E.  DS  Surg  Team  #20,  7-24-18 
to  9-25-18;  BH#90,  1-17-19  to  2-5-19.  Leave  Nice,  12-13-18 
to  12-26-18. 

Williams,  Clifford  J.— Gen  Detail.    DS  EH #2,  6-24-18  to  6-30-18. 

Winter,  Daniel  L. — Cook,  10-1-18.  Kitchen  Hosp  B.  Leave  Gren- 
oble. 11-25-18  to  12-7-18. 

Wise,  Earl  M.— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18.  Engineer  &  Fireman  Elec  Light 
Plant.    Leave  St.  Malo,  11-16-18  to  11-29-18. 

Woellhaf,  Guy  A.— Pvt  ICl,  10-24-18.  Orderly  Hosp  E.  Leave 
Grenoble,  12-9-18  to  12-23-18. 

Wright,  Merle  M.— Nurse  Hosp  A-E.  DS  BH#90.  1-17-19  to 
2-5-19.     Leave  Nice,  11-13-18  to  11-28-18. 

Wright,  Ruth— Nurse  Hosp  D.  DS  BH#15,  12-29-17  to  1-24-18; 
Baccarat,  6-26-18  to  2-13-19.    Dropped  fr  roll  BH#32,  2-13-19. 


Appendix  229 

Wright,  Worth  E.— Pvt  ICl,  8-1-18.     Gen  Detail.     Leave  Haute 

Savoie  Area,  7-7-18  to  7-19-18;  Nice,  1-24-19  to  2-7-19. 
Yarling,  Earl  W.— Pvt  ICl,  9-20-18.    Gen  Detail.    Leave  Dinard, 

10-29-18  to  11-14-18. 
Young,   Lowell   R.— Orderly    Hosp   A.     DS    EH #2,   6-24-18   to 

6-30-18;  Surg  Team  #19,  7-29-18  to  10-12-18.     Trans  Mobile 

Hosp  *11,  10-12-18. 
YouNT,  Ray  R.— Orderly  Hosp  D.     Leave  Grenoble,   12-9-18  to 

12-23-18. 


INDEX 


Albright,  E.,  67,  181. 
Alkire,  Mrs.  A.,  209. 
Alkire.  H.,  20,  141,  181. 
Allen,  G.  F.,  209. 
Allen,  J.  E.,  209. 
Altringer,  A.  N.,  95. 
Anderson,  O.,  22,  52,  181. 
Anderson,  R.  P.,  68.  99. 
Andrews,  W.  B.,  68,  88,  99,  100. 
Anesthesia,  140. 
Anstead,  R.  C,  68,  93. 
Armistice,  177,  178. 
Ashe,  J.  W.,  14,  71.  80,  99. 
Ashworth,  L.  N.,  14,  71,  93,  98. 
Ashworth,  Mrs.  N.,  209. 
Asperger,  G.  P.,  209. 
Asperger,  O..  12,  14,  71,  99,  182. 
Atwood,  I.  W.,  68.  99. 
Auxiliary  Assn.,  206-210. 
Avant,  W.  H.,  209. 

Bachinger,  E.,  20,  109. 

Baker,  E.  L.,  14,  87,  93,  99. 

Baker,  Mrs.  W.  H.,  209. 

Baldwin,  M.,  67,  88. 

Baldwin,  W..  14.  86,  99. 

Baldwin,  Mrs.  W..  207,  209. 

Ball,  Mrs.  H.  P.,  209. 

Banner,  C.  W.,  88,  131,  180. 

Barnes,  A.,  14. 

Barnett,  S.  W.,  68,  93. 

Barr,  A.,  88,  131,  180. 

Bartle,  A.  J.,  14,  52,  99. 

Barwise,  J.  G.,  68,  71,  99. 

Baseball,  80,  87,  92. 

Base  Hospital  22>,  47,  90,  149,  180. 

Base  Hospital  31,  46,   100,   144,   145, 

149,   159,   160,    161,    169,   170,   171, 

180,  195. 
Base  Hospital  36,  47,  149,  180. 
Basketball,  180. 
Bath  House,  75,  159,  163. 
Bauer,  P.,  67. 
Bay  of  Biscay,  Lines  to,  25.     Storm, 

34. 
Bean,  I.,  209. 
Bechtel,  J.  H.,  209. 
Beck,  L.  v..  20,  IZ,  147. 
Beck,  R.,  14,71. 
Bed  capacity,  47,  48,  95. 
Beeler,  R.  C.,  5,  7.  13,  54,  70,  74,  137, 

139,  140,  148,  155,  194,  196. 
Beeler,  Mrs.  R.  C,  207,  209. 
Beers,  A.,  60,  67. 
Beery,  H.  R.,  8,  10,  13,  19,  53,  55,  162. 


Beery,  Mrs.  H.  R.,  207,  209. 

Bell,  G.  S.,  67,  181. 

Bendley,  Mrs.  B..  209. 

Bennett,  H.  F.,  20,  74,  88. 

Berg,  A.,  209. 

Berger,  L.  F.,  68,  99. 

Berger,  M.  R.,  20,  52,  181. 

Berry,  Mrs.  L.  W.,  209. 

Berry,  M.,  20,  52. 

Biggert,  H.,  20,  109. 

Biltimier,  C.  H.,  14,  99. 

Birch,  N.  M.,  20,  52. 

Bishop,  P.  J.,  68.  87,  99,  100. 

Bishop's  Farm,  54. 

Bittler,  G.  A.,  209. 

Blakeman,  R.  J.,  209. 

Blank,  D.,  67,  88. 

Blumenthal,  H.  L.,  209. 

Blumenthal,  M.,  14,  99. 

Bonesteel,  K.,  14. 

Bonner,  W.,  209. 

Borders,  D.,  20,  131,  181. 

Borders,  O.,  209. 

Bostwick,  M.  E.,  23,  88. 

Bouter,  E.,  52. 

Bowen,  M.  M.,  20,  88. 

Bowman,  T.,  14,  99. 

Boyer,  H.  M.,  14. 

Boyles,  B.  E..  20.  52. 

Bradley,  B.,  14,  71,  80,  86,  100. 

Bradley,  Mrs.  C.  S.,  209. 

Brest,  36.  39,  40. 

Brewer,  R.  J.,  12,  14,  71,  99. 

Brienne-le-Chateau,  190. 

Brooks,  M..  209. 

Brosnan,  H.  T.,  209. 

Brosnan,  J.  G.,  209. 

Brosnan,  W.  J.,  14,  99. 

Brown,  H.  W.,  14,  80,  87.  92,  93,  100. 

Brown,  Rev.  L.,  207,  209. 

Brownlee,  I.  D.,  160,  169. 

Bryant,  D.,  195. 

Bubelis.  J.,  14,  93. 

Buehler,  A.  G.,  182,  196. 

Buehler,  H.  H.,  182,  194,  196. 

Burdette,  H.,  209. 

Burleson,  V.  M..  20,  181. 

Bushey,  F.  P.,  13,  52,  53.  56,  70. 

Butler,  E.,  14. 

Byrnes,  H.  F..  8,  13,  54,  181. 

Byrnes,  Mrs.  M.  D.,  209. 

Galley,  A.,  209. 

Callis,  H.  B.,  12,  14,  56,  71,  74,  94,  188. 
196.  198. 


231 


232 


Index 


Callis,  Mrs.  T.  O..  207.  209. 
Campbell.  C.  L.,  14,  87,  93,  99. 
Cantrall.  A.  M..  68,  88,  99. 
Caris.  M.  C,  68. 
Carmania,  H.  M.  S.,  63. 
Carroll,  J.  P..  14,  71.  98.  100. 
Carroll.  Mrs.  M.,  209. 
Carter,  C.  14. 

Casino  Theater,  79,  80,  100.  159,  166. 
Cassidy,  M.,  209. 
Cathcart,  Mrs.  A.  M.,  209. 
Cathcart.  C,  23,  103. 
Chapman,  C.  L..  14,  99. 
Civilian  Employees.  23. 
Clark.  E.  D..  3.  4,  5,  10,  12,  13,  53,  54, 
55,  7X  74,  89.  101, 103, 162, 177, 182. 
Clark,  Mrs.  E.  D.,  207. 
Clarke,  J.  F..  58,  59,  60,  61,  67,  182, 

194,  196. 
Clements,  J.,  20. 
Clickncr.  M.  C.  20,  103. 
Cline,  E.  L.,  209. 
Combs,  Mrs.  M.  B.,  209. 
Commissary,  TZ. 

Connaway,  C,  206,  207,  209. 

Connaway,  Mrs.  C,  207. 

Connaway,  J.,  14,  100,  131,  133,  182. 

Connelly,  E.,  67. 

Contrexeville,  149,  158,  177,  188. 
Arrival  at  42. 
Described,  44. 

Cooke,  J.  L.,  209. 

Cooke,  Mrs.  J.  L.,  209. 

Cooke.  R.  A..  14,  51,  87,  93. 

Cooper,  C.  M.,  209. 

Coppock,  O.  O.,  68.  93. 

Corrigan,  M.  E.,  209. 

Corrigan,  Mrs.  N.,  209. 

Corrigan,  V.  R.,  14,  80,  98. 

Cosmopolitain,  46,  48,  50,  53,  95.  103, 
104,  144,  147,  158. 

Cotharin,  B.  A.,  14,  52. 

Cotharin,  Mrs.  B.,  209. 

Crowe,  I.  N..  67,  74,  194. 

Cox,  L.  A.,  209. 

Dages,  J.,  15. 

Daugherty,  A.  L.,  15.  52.  99. 

Daugherty,  Mrs.  A.  N.,  209. 

Davey,  H.  J.,  209. 

Davey.  J.  P..  15.  93. 

Davies.  N.,  67,  181. 

Davis,  N.  B.,  20,  52. 

Davis,  W.  P.,  15,  87. 

Day,  J.  T..  5.  13,  88. 

Dean,  B.  N.,  209. 

Dean,  D.,  15,  98. 

Dean,  E.  H.,  209. 

Dean,  Mrs.  E.  H.,  207,  209. 


Delaney,  J.  C,  IS. 

Delaney,  Mrs.  M.  E..  209. 

Departments,  131-158. 

Diemer.  V.  E..  68.  87. 

Dillon,  R.  E..  20.  72,. 

Downard.  C.  E.,  68,  93. 

Downs,  G..  20. 

Drake,  P.,  209. 

Drake,  M.  W.,  15,  51.  71.  99. 

Drake.  R.  H..  209. 

Drosdowitz.  M..  15,  88,  99. 

Drozdowitz,  Mrs.  M.,  209. 

Duck,  C.  C,  3,  12,  15,  71,  74,  98,  183, 

188,  190,  196. 
Duffy,  J.  A..  62.  68.  87,  93,  99, 100, 101. 
Duncan,  J.  H.,  15,  71.  86. 
Dunn,  Mrs.  O.  C,  209. 

Ealey,  E.  P..  20. 

Earnest,  Mrs.  B.  E.,  209. 

Earnest,  H.  L.,  15,  86,  92,  99,  100. 

Eastman,  Mrs.  T.,  7. 

Eberwein,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  J.  H.,  209. 

Edwards,  C.  M..  68.  99. 

Edwards,  S.  R.,  5,  7,  13.  70,  72,  144. 

Edwards.  Mrs.  S.  R.,  209. 

Elder,  M.  L..  67. 

Elder,  Mrs.  W.  L.,  7. 

Equipment,  50,  56,  137,  179 ;  items  of. 

3,  4,  7. 
Erdmann,  C.  E.,  and  Son,  209. 
Erdmann.  E.,  15,  99. 
Erdmann,  W.  V..  209. 
Erdmann,  Mrs.  W.,  209. 
Ervin,  J.  M..  20.  91. 
Essig,  Mrs.  L.,  209. 
Essig,  M.  P.,  20,  52. 
Eudaly,  R.  A.,  15,  99. 

Pehr,  E.  W.,  209. 

Fehr,  L.  M.,  209. 

Pehr,  W.  VV.,  15.  99.  198. 

Feirrell,  C.  R..  15.  87. 

Perguson.  M..  20.  73,  97. 

Ferrell,  P.  O..  68.  93.  99. 

Pickenger,  Mrs.  W.,  209. 

Pink.  C.  72,  87. 

Finlay,  G.,  23. 

Pinlay,  Mrs.  J.  A.,  209. 

Finlay,  J.  O.,  209. 

Pishback.  G..  15.  71.  80.  182,  196.  198. 

Fisher,  H.  W.,  15,  145. 

Pisk,  K.,  15,  98. 

Pitchett.  E.  H.,  15,  99. 

Fitton,  Mrs.  H.  R..  209. 

Fletcher,  H.  H.,  15.  71. 

Fletcher,  Mrs.,  209. 

Foreman,  W.  A..  15. 

Fortune,  William,  1,  2.  6. 


Index 


233 


Foster,  M.  P.,  161,  172. 

Foster.  Mrs.  R.  S.,  7. 

Fox,  M.,  15. 

Francis,  J.  M.,  13,  14,  2,2,  41,  72,  87, 

182. 
Freedom,  U.  S.  S.,  198,  199.  200,  201. 
French,  L.  C,  160. 
Frenzel  Bros.,  209. 
Frenzel,  J.  P.,  Jr.,  209. 
Friend,  Mrs.  O.  L..  209. 
Frost,  G.,  23,  88. 
Fuller,  F.  M.,  67,  70,  87,  108,  183. 
Funkhouser,  E.,  5,  13,  51,  72,  7Z,  74, 

144,  145,  194,  196. 

Gaither,  B.  H.,  15,  51,  71,  99,  100. 

Gaumer,  H.  E.,  68,  99. 

Geise,  T.,  15,  93. 

Genolin,  S.,  20,  52. 

George  Washington,  U.  S.  S.,  24,  26, 

29,  30,  33-40,  200 ;  described,  28. 
Gerin,  M.  L.,  207,  209. 
Giles,  J.  B.,  207,  209. 
Giles,  R.,  15,  87,  88. 
Gilmore,  H.  €.,  15,  99. 
Glotfelty,  W.  A.,  68,  93. 
Goodale,  H.  B.,  15. 
Goodale,  S.  B.,  209. 
Goodwin,  Jessie  M.,  7. 
Graber,  O.  K.,  67,  88,  181. 
Graham,  A.  B.,  5,  13,  54,  74,  89,  99, 

103,  181. 
Graham,  Mrs.  A.,  207,  209. 
Graham,  Mrs.  A.  B.,  209. 
Graham,  J.  W.,  209. 
Graham,  P.  R.,  15. 
Gray,  E.  J.,  20,  103. 
Gray,  H.  A.,  67,  194,  196,  198,  202. 
Green,  D.,  15. 
Green,  H.  H.,  15,  93. 
Green,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  O.  E.,  209. 
Greenhalgh,  S.,  67,  141,  181. 
Gregory,  E.  M.,  15.  98. 
Griffith,  J.  L.,  15,  93. 
Griffith,  Mrs.  J.  L.,  209. 
Grim,  M.  G.,  20,  181. 
Guedel,  A.,  74,  90,  141,  143,  148,  180. 

Hagaman,  E.  G.,  15,  71,  182. 

Hamilton,  H.  L.,  12,  15.  71,  86,  100. 

Hart,  S.  O.,  15,  87,  100. 

Harvey,  A.,  22. 

Haumerson,  C.  C.,  68. 

Heflfner,  R.  F.,  15.  71,  93,  99. 

Heminger,  C.  C,  68,  99. 

Henke,  M.,  68,  141. 

Herbert,  L.  €.,  15. 

Herod,  M.  B.,  23. 

Herod,  W.  P.,  206,  207. 


Herod,  Mrs.  W.  P.,  7. 

Herrick,  J.  F.,  67,  70,  99,  108,  1%. 

Hess,  E.  H.,  15. 

Hess,  G.  J.,  209. 

Hicks,  W.,  12,  16,  71. 

Hiland,  E.,  16,  99. 

Hildebrand,  Mrs.  C.  209. 

Hildebrand,  H.  E.,  16. 

Hill,  Mrs.  E.  D.,  209. 

Hitchcock,  L.  E.,  56,  80,  159,  160. 

Hitz,  B.  D.,  3,  12.  16,  71,  74,  90,  98, 

194,  196,  198,  202. 
Hitz,  Mrs.  B.  D.,  207,  209. 
Hitz,  B.  F.,  206,  207,  209. 
Hitz,  Mrs.  B.  F.,  207,  209. 
Hobbs,  W.  L..  68,  99. 
Hoffman,  J.  W.,  16,  93. 
Hoffman,  Mrs.  R.,  209. 
Hollenbeck,  H.  R.,  16,  71,  74,  88,  98, 

99. 
Holliday,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  H.,  209. 
Holliday,  W.  J.,  16. 
Hollingsworth,  H.  H.,  16,  71,  74,  88, 

99,  145. 
Holloran,  Mrs.  E.,  209. 
Holloran,  J.  J.,  16,  51. 
Holt,  S.  R.,  209. 
Hospital  A,  46,  48,  50,  53,  95,  103,  104, 

144,  147,  158. 
Hospital  B,  46,  48,  50,  53,  95,  103,  104. 
Hospital  C,  46,  48,  50,  53,  95,  108,  109. 
Hospital  Center,  89,  149,  152,  177,  182, 

Staff,  90. 
Hospital  D,  46,  48,  50,  53,  95,  108,  109, 

144,  149. 
Hospital  E,  46,  48,  SO,  53,  95,  108,  109, 

144,  187. 
Houser,  M.  B.,  20,   52. 
Howland,  Mrs.  C.  B..  209. 
Humes,  C.  D.,  5,  12,  13,  53,  70,  90,  99, 

149,  180. 
Humes,  Mrs.  C.  D.,  207,  209. 
Hunsden,  Mrs.  K.,  209. 
Hunsdon,  R.  V.,  16.  99. 
Hunt,  B.  R.,  20,  88,  181. 
Hunt,  E.  v.,  68,  99. 
Hurley,  E.  M.,  161. 
Huron.  U.  S.  S.,  29,  32,  35,  36. 
Hurt,  P.  T.,  5,  13,  74,  194,  196. 
Hurt,  Mrs.  P.  T.,  207,  209. 
Hurt,  P.  T.,  Jr.,  209. 
Hurt,  W.  I.,  209. 
Hutton,  B.  E.,  68. 

Indianapolis  City  Hospital,  3 ;  Alumni 

Ass'n.,  22. 
Ikerd,  R.  H.,  20. 
Iverson,  Mrs.  W.,  209. 
Iverson,  W.  V.,  16,  51,  99. 


234 


Index 


Jackson,  C.  R.,  16,  93,  195. 
Jackson,  Mrs.  C.  R.,  210. 
James,  L.  D..  67,  88,  196. 
Jaffe,  Mrs.  N.,  210. 
Jennings,  L.,  12,  16.  71,  99. 
Jennings,  W.  L..  210. 
Jericho,  P.  B.,  68.  88,  99. 
Jillson,  Mrs.  D.,  7. 
Jobes,  N.  E.,  3. 
Johnson,  B.  M.,  161. 
Johnson,  Elizabeth,  22. 
Johnson,  R.  K.,  16.  71.  88,  206. 
Johnson,  R.  O..  206.  207,  209. 
Johnson,  Mrs.  R.  O.,  209. 
Johnson.  W.  A.,  68.  71. 
Johnson,  W.  C,  16,  93. 
Johnston,  C.  S.,  68,  71. 
Johnston,  E.  E.,  95.  194,  196. 
Johnston,  K.  L.,  67.  74,  88,  89,  196. 
Jones,  D.  K.,  16,  87,  100,  101. 
Jones,  G.  G..  16,  93. 
Judd,  A.  A.,  16,  71,  93. 
Judd,  Mrs.  A.  A.,  210. 
Judkins,  B.  D.,  16,  71. 
Judkins,  Mrs.  M.  P.,  209. 

Kahle,  E.  C.,  16,  88,  98. 

Kahle,  M..  210. 

Kean,  Jefferson  R.,  5,  58. 

Kelly,  C.  D.,  16. 

Kelly,  J.  D.,  95.  180. 

Kelly,  J.  J.,  210. 

Kelly.  Mrs.  M.  B.,  210. 

Kemp,  W.,  16. 

Kennedy,  B.,  5,  13,  54,  108.  149,  180. 

Kennedy,  Mrs.  B.,  207,  210. 

Kennedy.  M.,  22.  52. 

Kirkpatrick,  R.  B.,  12,  16. 

Kirkpatrick,  S.  O.,  210. 

Kochman,  M.  F..  20,  52. 

Kroeger,  J.  P.,  16,  99. 

Kuhn,  Mrs.  W.  W.,  210. 

Kurr,  Mrs.  A.,  210. 

Kurr,  E.,  16,  99. 

Kurtz,  Mrs,  K.  B.,  210. 

Laboratory,  72.  144-146. 
Lacy,  J.  M.,  182. 
Lamson,  C.  S.,  69,  93. 
Lanahan,  C.  J..  16.  99. 
Lanahan,  T.,  16.  99. 
Lancaster,  A..  20,  181. 
Langan,  J.,  210. 
Langan,  J.  H..  16.  99. 
Larimorc,  M.  P.,  69.  99. 
Larmore.  J.  C.,  69,  88,  99. 
Lathrop,  L.,  3. 
Lawless,  W.,  160. 
Layton,  S.  L.,  160,  169. 
Leaves,  91. 


Lessenger,  E.,  68. 

Lieber.  A.,  210. 

Lilly,  Col.  Eli,  1,  2. 

Lilly  &  Co..  Eli.  2;  gift  of,  1. 

Lilly,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.,  210. 

Lilly,  J.  K.,  1,  2,  4.  206,  207,  210. 

Lilly,  Mrs.  J.  K.,  210. 

Lindbom.  E.,  69,  99. 

Lochry.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  E.,  210. 

Lochry,  R.  L.,  5,  13,  72,  89,  137,  139, 

155. 
Locke,  L.  L..  16. 
Locke,  R..  210. 
Loechle.  W.  P..  12.  16,  71. 
Logan,  L..  16,  99,  100. 
Logsdon,  L.,  16. 
Lounsbury,  C,  16,  92,  99,  100. 
Lowe,  L.  E..  20. 

Lukens,  J.  E.,  68.  71,  87,  93,  98,  187. 
Lupton.  C.  E..  16. 
Lusk,  M..  67,  181. 
Lyons,  M.  C,  16,  87,  93,  100. 

McAdams.  Mrs.  C.  R.,  210. 

McArdle.  J..  17,  71,  99,  198. 

McBee,  M.  R.,  21.  52. 

McCarty,  C.  M.,  69. 

McClure,  W.  N..  17.  198. 

McCoppin.  M.,  22.  52,  88. 

McCormick,  M.,  17. 

McCown,  P.  E.,  210. 

McCown,  Mrs.  P.  E.,  206,  207,  210. 

McCray,  W.  T.,  210. 

McCulloch,  C.  B.,  5,  6,  13,  53,  54,  72, 

97,  103. 
McCulloch,  M.,  207,  210. 
McCullough,  H.  P.,  62. 
McDonald.  E.  L..  210. 
McDonald.  I.  C.  17,  147. 
McDougall.  D.  C.  17.  71.  99. 
McElwaine.  J.  B..  17.  51.  71,  99,  198. 
McGiffin,  W.  J.,  68,  71,  99. 
McFeely,  P.,  56. 
McGibney,  Mrs.  H..  7. 
McGuire.  R.  A.,  67,  70.  187. 
McHugh,  G.  P.,  207,  210. 
McHugh,  Mrs.  M.  E.,  210. 
McHugh,  T.  D.,  12,  17,  71,  93. 
Mclntire.  J.  D.,  17. 
McLaughlin,  C.  A.,  17.  99,  182. 

Mac  Mahon,  K.,  161. 

Magee,  G.  E.,  16,  52,  71,  97,  137,  138, 

139. 
Magee.  W.  T..  210. 
Mahan.  B.  B..  21.  103.  181. 
Mangan,  M..  22,  52,  89.  97. 
Mangus.  A.  V..  16.  93. 
Mangus.  Mrs.  A.  V..  210. 
Marshall.  Mrs.  L.  P.,  210. 


Index 


235 


Marshall.  W.R,  17.  93   137,139,194. 

Martin,  P.  F    13   74  88 

Martin,  F.  J.,  5.  20  22,  162. 

Matthews,  H.  P.,  21U. 

Matthews,  P.  R-.  16,  32,  71.  86,  87,  W, 

MaSa'^c'}-.,  306  307,  2.0. 
Maugham.  J.  R-.  17- 99. 

Maxwell,  R.  R.,  207,  210. 
Mayer,  Mrs.  C,  22. 
Medical  Section   50   108- 
Mehler,  F.  R..  67,  97,  196. 
Mellis,  B.  A.,  69. 
Melville,  E.,  21. 

Meyer,  C,  Jr.,  17. 
Miller,  Mrs.  A.,  210 
Miller,  Mrs.  E.  C    2iu. 
Miller,  E.  E.,  17,  71. 
Miller,  E.  F.,  21,  52,  98. 

Miller,  J.  A.,  21   91 

Minstrel  show,  86,  lUU. 

Mobilization,  10. 

Mohr.  E.  C    95. 

Montana,  U.  S   S    29  32. 

Montgomery.  J.,  22,  i»i. 

Ke:R:M%.14,54,70,99,108, 

149,  192,  198. 
Moran,  M..  17- 
Morel,  M    87.177. 

Kan,l.t:|;«.99,HS,M6. 

Morris,  J.  G.,  210 
Morrison,  F.,  3  210.^ 
Morrison,  S.W    210 

KSjp.J/Jysa. 

K"orrE^!'5,'l3,54.73,88,,47 

tZ!A  Mrs   T.,  210. 
KI^°,r''h.,'95,148,180. 

Nantes,  192. 
Need,  C.  L    21    18  . 
New,  Mrs  J.  C,  210 
Newkirk,  F.  N.,  69,  99. 
Nicholson,  Mrs.  M.,  /• 
Norris,  J.  C,  69,  71. 
Neu,C.F.,3. 
Neuro-Pschiatry,  144. 
Newcomb,  R.,  5,  0. 


Nicholson,  P.  C.  160.  169. 

Nose.  Throat,  Ear.  131. 

Nurses,  73.  94,  97,  98,  181,  187,  193. 

Club,  99,  167. 

Garden,  167. 

List  of,  20. 

Training.  22. 

Unit  R,  67. 

Oatman,  S.  H.,  69. 
O'Connell.  M.,  21,  52,  88. 
Officers,  54. 
Club,  168. 
List  of,  13. 
Transfer,  196. 
Unit  R.  67. 
O'Hern,  W.  J.,  17,  71,  93. 
O'Keefe,  M.,  21. 
Oliver,  J.  H.,  3. 
Omer,  M.,  210. 
Orchestra,  101. 

8S:Mrt'K'j..206.207.210. 
O'Reilly,  R.,  17,  93,  99. 
Orthopedics,  146. 
Ostenzi,  F.,  22,  52,  88,  181. 
Ott,  L.,  210. 

Page,  L..  5,  13,  54,  99,  131,  181. 

?:rrHo^te/de,46.48,50,53,95,103, 

104. 
Parrot,  R.  C,  69,  99. 

^' A?rftal  of,  71,  72,  85,  89,  90,  96, 
133. 
Contagious,  130. 
French,  72,  94,  183-186. 
How  Handled,  75. 
Statistics  of,  104-129,  148.  162,  183- 
186. 
Pavne  L.  L.,  21,  52,  88. 
,      Peacock,  E.,  21,  52,  88,  181. 
Personnel,  enlisted. 
List  of,  14. 
Quarters,  46. 
Recruiting  of,  6. 
Unit  R,  68. 
Petcher,  Mrs.  H.  C,  210. 
Pfaff.  D..  12,  17. 

Poindexter,  H.  B.,  17,  98. 

?rtrr:Mrs^H'A:,207.210. 
Porter  W.  C,  17,  52.  93. 
Potter,  E..  21,  52,  181. 


236 


Index 


Potts,  A.  F.,  4. 
Power,  E.  D.,  69.  99. 
Prosser,  A.  A.,  21,  52,  88,  181. 
Providence,  Hotel  de  la,  46,  48,  50.  53, 

95,  108,  109,  144,  187. 
Providence  Annex,  46,  48,  50,  53,  95, 

108,  109. 
Prust,  B.  G.,  21,  88. 
Pugh,  J.  M.,  17,  88. 

Quimby,  Mrs.  L.  A.,  210. 

Quimby,  S.,  5,  7,  14,  74,  194,  196,  197. 

Quinn,  E.  T.,  17,  71,  80,  99. 

Royal,  Hotel,  46,  48,  50.  53,  95,  108, 

109,  144,  149. 
Randall,  R.,  193. 
Read,  F.  M.,  210. 

Red  Cross,  6,  56,  59,  74,  79,  99,  159- 

176,  179,  202. 

Hut,  100,  161,  164,  179. 

Indianapolis  Chapter  of,  1,  2,  6,  22. 

Shop,  6. 
Reed,  O.,  17,  98. 
Reel,  L.  R.,  12,  17,  71,  74,  188. 
Reeves,  E.  D.,  17,  71,  87,  99,  100. 
Reeves,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  L.,  210. 
Reeves,  L.,  210. 
Reeves,  W.  M.,  210. 
Regan,  E.,  210. 
Reimers,  R.  S.,  67,  183. 
Reitenour,  C.  D.,  17,  71,  IZ,  97. 
Reitenour,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  G.  W.,  210. 
Reynolds,  S.  S.,  89,  180. 
Ribeyre,  J.  E.,  210. 
Rich,  F.  C,  210. 

Rich,  R.  F.,  12,  17,  71,  80,  92.  98. 
Ricketts,  J.  W.,  5,  14,  54,  70,  74,  103, 

194,  196. 
Ricketts,  Mrs.  J.  W.,  210. 
Ricksher,  F.,  60. 
Riddell,  H.  L.,  17,  87,  99,  100. 
Riggs,  G.  A.,  17,  71,  87,  93. 
Riley,  E.  T.,  210. 
Ritter,  Mrs.  N.  B.,  210. 
Ritter,  P.  F.,  17. 
Roberson.  T.  I.,  21,  88. 
Robinson,  D.  A.,  17,  71,  93. 
Rock,  N.,  21,  52,  88.  89,  97. 
Rogers,  W.  K..  69.  99. 
Rohr,  A.  M.,  22,  88,  181. 
Ross,  D.,  3,  210. 
Routh,  G.,  210. 
Routh,  P.  N..  17,  93. 
Rukke,  J.  v..  90.  101,  102,  177. 
Russell,  F.,  18,  99. 
Russell,  Mrs.  H.  R..  210. 
Russell.  J.  F.,  207.  210. 
Russell.  Mrs.  J.  F..  210. 
Ryan,  E.  C,  21,  52,  74,  88,  109. 


Sanagan,  A.  C,  18,  71. 

Sanagan,  A.  E.,  210. 

Sanagan,  Mrs.  A.  E.,  207,  210. 

Sandford,  G.,  18,  85. 

Satters,  A.,  12,  18,  71. 

Sawyer,  M..  160. 

Scales,  A.  F.,  210. 

Scales,  M.  A.,  22. 

Scharffin,  P.,  18. 

Scherer,  J.  W..  5.  14,  54,  89. 

Scherer,  Mrs.  J.  W.,  210. 

Schillerstrom.  C.  G..  69,  99. 

Schlanser,  A.  E.,  46. 

Scholer,  C,  210. 

Scholer,  E.,  210. 

Scholer,  I.  A.,  21,  52,  181. 

Shimer,  M.,  21. 

Schutte,  G.,  70,  182. 

Scovel,  C.  L.,  69,  99. 

Searle,  F.  G.,  18,  87. 

Searle,  P.,  12,  18. 

Selch.  C.  G.,  18,  52. 

Self.  H.  C,  69,  99,  100. 

Sellmeyer,  A.  J.,  18,  71. 

Sertell.  J.,  210. 

Sertell,  P.  J..  18,  87,  93.  100. 

Shearer.  B.  C,  69,  93,  99.  145. 

Sheerin.  Mrs.  M.  D.,  210. 

Sheller,  H.  B.,  210. 

Sheller,  V.  G.,  11,  12,  18,  71,  80.  87, 

100. 
Shoemaker,  G.  B..  210. 
Smith,  E.  H.,  210. 
Smith,  Mrs.  F.,  210. 
Smith,  G.  F.,  21,  52,  88,  193. 
Smith,  G.,  18.  92. 
Smith,  Mrs.  J.  H.,  210. 
Smith,  Mrs.  J.  W.,  210. 
Smith,  M.  E.,  18,  99. 
Smith,  R.,  18. 
Snyder,  C.  E.,  18,  71. 
Snyder,  Mrs.  Ed.  210. 
Sorensen.  E.  E..  161. 
Spainhour,  P.  G..  69,  93. 
Sparks,  G.  L.,  210. 
Sparks,  Mrs.  G.  L..  207. 
Sparks,  J.  v.,  5.  14.  54.  180. 
St.  Nazaire,  193,  194.  197. 
St.  Sebastien,  192,  193,  194,  196. 
SteflFen,  Mrs.,  207. 
Steffen,  G..  23.  109,  193. 
Steinman,  K.,  210. 
Stephan,  W.  M.,  18. 
Stephens.  G.  A.,  210. 
Stephens.  J.  E..  210. 
Stephens.  W.  A.,  18. 
Stewart,  E.,  18. 
Storm.  34. 

Stough,  Mrs.  B.  A.,  210. 
Stough.  C.  S..  18,  52,  87,  99,  137. 


Index 


237 


Stuart,  L.  S.,  18,  71,  87.  145. 

Stuvel,  B..  18,  51,  71. 

Sullivan,  M.  L.,  210. 

Summers.  L.  E.,  18,  87.  93,  137,  138. 

Surgical  Section,  50,  103. 

Surgical  team.s,  73,  7A,  88,  89. 

Sutton,  M.  L.,  18,  93. 

Swaim,  G.  O..  12,  18,  50,  71,  80. 

Sweeney,  R.  E.,  210. 

Sweet,  R.  L.,  5,  14,  97. 

Swezey,  G.  L.,  161. 

Swift,  A.,  68,  181,  193. 

Talghadar,  E.,  161. 

Taylor,  M.,  210. 

Taylor,  M.  K.,  161. 

Teschenor,  F.  R.,  95. 

Thomas,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  C,  210. 

Thompson,  E.,  68,  193. 

Thompson,  H.  A.,  21,  193. 

Thompson,  H.  C,  210. 

Thompson,  W.  H.,  56,  80,   159,   160, 

161. 
Thrasher.  R.  D.,  18. 
Threlkeld,  A.,  21,  88,  193. 
Totten,  R.  G..  21,  52,  181,  193. 
Travis.  J.  E..  210. 
Tyndall,  R.,  202. 
Tyner,  M.,  21. 

Unit  R,  58-69,  182,  199.  202,  204. 
Arrival  of.  58. 
At  Ft.  McPherson,  61. 
Discharge,  204. 
Equipment,  60. 
Personnel,  67. 
Sailing  of,  63. 

Van  Dyke,  E.,  68.  193. 
Van  Evera,  G.,  68,  181,  193. 
Van  Kirk,  H.  H.,  70,  89,  162,  208. 
Van  Riper,  J.,  2. 
Varner,  H.  H.,  95.  180. 
Verplanck,  V.  N..  88,  180. 
Vittel,  47,  55,  90,  130,  177. 

Wagner,  C.  E.,  88.  180. 
Wagner,  F.  J.,  210. 
Wagner,  H.  E.,  21,  181. 


Wagner,  W.  H..  210. 

Wagner,  Wm.  H.,  12,  18,  71. 

Wakefield,  R.,  18. 

Walgren,  R.  L.,  69,  99. 

Walker,  B.  S.,  62,  67,  194,  196. 

Walker,  F.  C.,  5,  14,  74,  88.  194,  196. 

Walker,  Mrs.  F.  C.,  210. 

Walker,  J.  R..  62. 

Walsh,  F.,  210. 

Watkins,  T.  B.,  161,  169. 

Watson.  Mrs.  P.  M.,  7. 

Watts,  S.  S.,  69,  99. 

Weer,  H.  H.,  210. 

Weer,  P.  W.,  18,  93. 

Wehman,  E.  J.,  67,  144,  145,  194,  196. 

Weitendorf,  A..  21,  52,  88,  181. 

Wells,  R.  D.,  18,  99. 

Wesley,  A.  J.,  69,  99. 

Westfall,  D.,  18,  71,  72,  145. 

Whitacre,  H.  J.,  196. 

Whitaker,  B.,  68,  193. 

White,  D.,  12,  18.  71. 

White,  G.  L.,  18,  71,  80,  92,  93. 

White,  J.  A.,  210. 

Whiteman,  A.,  210. 

Whitlock,  O.,  68,  181.  193. 

Williams,  C.  J.,  18,  88. 

Williams,  Mrs.  R.  L.,  210. 

Winter,  D.  L.,  69. 

Wise,  E.  M.,  18,  99. 

Wise.  Mrs.  F.  N.,  210. 

Woellhaf,  G.  A.,  69,  99. 

Wollmuth,  R.  O.,  8.  10,  13. 

Woodfill,  Mrs.  L.,  210. 

Worthington,  J.  K.,  5,  8,  13. 

Wright,  F.,  210. 

Wright,  M.,  68,  181,  193. 

Wright,  R.,  21,  88, 

Wright,  W.  E.,  18,  93. 

X-Ray,  147,  148,  155. 

Yarling,  B.  H.,  210. 
Yarling.  E.  W.,  18,  99. 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  56.  164. 
Yorger.  L.  J.,  210. 
Young.  L.  R.,  18,  88.  89.  97. 
Yount,  R.  R.,  18. 
Youtz,  H.  T.,  180. 


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